Memory's Rhapsody
by Sora53
Summary: Complete! .:Sequel to Twin Hearts:. Sora and Corita begin their adventure in Castle Oblivion, to learn and to forget...
1. Forked Path

Sora53: MUAHAHAHAHAHA...  
Fans: I'm being held here against my will.  
Sora53: Welcome, one and all, to the sequel to "Twin Hearts", "Memory's Rhapsody"!  
Fans: What a corny title.  
Joe: Rhapsody. A usually instrumental composition of irregular form that often incorporates improvisation.  
Sora53: O.o Joe's brilliant!-

Disclaimer: Oh no, not these again... I don't own Kingdom Hearts OR KH:CoM. I own Corita. HAPPY, YOU LAWYERS?

The midday sun shone high above the sparkling blue water, reflecting off the white sand that covered the seashore. Seagulls flew above the island, calling out to one another. A slight wind caused the palm trees' leaves to shake, and it also ruffled the brown hair of a young girl, sleeping under the Paupu tree. The wind caused her to awaken from her slumber, and she sat up wearily, brushing her hair out of her face. As she rubbed her sky-blue eyes, a young boy who looked remarkably like her ran down the bridge towards the tree, waving his arms.

"Corita! Are you awake yet?" The boy asked as he reached the base of the tree.

"Just woke up. Why, Sora?" She asked as she slid off the tree to stand next to him.

"Remember? Riku and I are going to the Secret Place to defeat the monster!" Sora cheered as he started off along the bridge.

"Oh, yeah. Why am I going, again?" Corita grumbled as she trudged along beside him.

"You need to make sure Riku and I don't get eaten." Sora said solemnly as they turned off onto the beach.

"What if the monster eats me first?"

"Well, then..." Sora stopped, thinking. "We'll kill it and save you!"

"Sora, I highly doubt there's really a monster in there." Corita sighed as she halted next to him.

"She's right." A different voice chimed in from behind them. A young boy with silver hair approached them from the rear, and stopped once he reached them.

"You're no fun, Riku." Sora whined as he started off for the small cave at the base of the trees. Corita and Riku followed him, and they stopped at the front of the cave.

"Shh...can't you hear it growling?" Sora whispered as the trio leaned forward to listen. Sure enough, there was a small sound coming from the back of the cave.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Riku said cooly as he pushed forward and entered the cave. Sora and Corita followed, and the dark tunnel led them into a large cavern. Overhead, the whistling of the wind could be heard as it passed over a small hole plugged with a few large rocks.

"See? It was just the wind making that noise." Corita said, pointing overhead. Sora gave a sigh.

"Aw, man...I wish it was really a monster!"

"What do you expect in a boring place like this?" Riku asked.

"I'm outta here. If there's no monster to beat up, the least I can do is walk up the bridge." Corita mumbled, crawling out of the cave. The bright sunlight caused her to squint as she headed up the bridge to the highest point on the island. She'd always liked it there, as you could here the ocean hitting against the island and stare out at sea for miles and miles...

_Miles and miles...  
...of a tan path..._

Corita jolted up, suprised by her sudden awakening. Rubbing her eyes to help her wake up, she looked over at Donald and Goofy. Donald was using Goofy as a pillow, and Goofy was snoring loudly. Both were sound asleep. Ahead of her lie the all-to familiar path, the same path she and her friends had been following for so long. Donald, Goofy, her, and her brother Sora.  
Sora?

"Sora?" Corita called out as panic struck her almost instantly. Looking quickly around her, the familiar brown hair and red outfit were nowhere to be seen.

"DONALD! GOOFY!" Corita cried, stabbing them both with her finger. Donald muttered something about the gummi ship, but both remained asleep.

Corita stood up instantly, staring all around her, though it all looked the same. Grassy fields, a slight wind, and that same path. However, the darkness of the night that covered the land seemed...different, somehow. Different than the other nights they'd spend lying on the ground, trying to sleep and shake off their feelings of foreboding. Without a second thought, she dashed down the ever-winding path, searching for her missing sibling.

* * *

Sora stared up at the bright moon, which was set against the dark night sky, twinkling with infinite stars. The tan path he'd been following for so long had always led in one direction, but now...  
_  
"Ahead lies what you seek..."_

An icy chill crept along Sora's skin as a voice behind him echoed in the darkness. He slowly began to turn around to face the stranger, then decided to whirl around quickly. However, there was no one else on the path...nothing but darkness. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sora turned back to face the fork in the path, but the paths were blocked.

A tall stranger, clothed in a hooded black robe, stood in front of the fork in the rode, staring at Sora. Sora felt the hair on his neck stand on end as he spoke again.  
_  
"But to claim it, you must lose something dear."_

Without another word, the hooded figure turned away from Sora. Sora ran towards him, but the stranger vanished, absorbed into the darkness of night. Panting, Sora stared in awe as one of the paths faded, and only one remained.

* * *

"SORA! SOOOORRRA!" Corita called, staring hard into the darkness of the night. All she saw, however, was the path ahead of her, shrouded in night. She kept running, breathing hard, as she kept moving, wondering where Sora was, and how far she was from Donald and Goofy. She smiled as she wondered what they'd think if they woke up and both she and Sora were missing. Goofy would be worried, but Donald would probably just-

"Oof!" Corita grunted as she ran into something on the path, knocking it and her to the ground. Dizzy, Corita opened her eyes and stared at Sora, recovering from the blow.

"Sora!" Corita cried, leaping up. "Corita, what's wrong with you? You could've killed me!" Sora mumbled, getting off the ground.

"Sora, you left Donald, Goofy, and me to go for a leisurely stroll in the middle of the night when you don't know where we are or where we're going!" Corita roared, causing Sora to wince and cover his ears.

"Calm down, Corita! You know you worry too easily. Besides, I wasn't gone for _that_ long..."

"Oh, really?" She asked. "So, why did you leave camp?"

Sora turned away from his sister, and stared back up at the moon. The words of the mysterious man were still ringing in his ears, and he looked down at the path. The path that was left must lead _somewhere...  
_  
"Corita." Sora said, his voice suddenly serious. "That path leads to where we're headed. Let's go back and get Donald and Goofy."

"Aren't you Mr. Serious all of the sudden." Corita muttered, turning around and walking back down the path. Sora followed alongside her, lost in his thoughts.

Sora53: Muahaha! The first chapter! It is short!  
Corita: Why did you make me freak out so much?  
Joe: That's what I love about you, Corita...  
Corita: Ugh, Fanboys...  
Sora/Riku Fangirls: OOOHHHHH! WE'RE HERE!  
Sora53: Oh no, the fangirls have arrived.-


	2. Welcome to Castle Oblivion

-Sora53: Muahaha Chapter 2!  
Fans:I'm still here against my will. Save me, please.  
Sora53: SILENT, SLAVES!  
Corita: Sora53's scary if you cross her...- 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I own Corita. MUAHAHA! -ahem-

"Donald! Goofy! Wake up!" Corita whispered urgently, shaking them both. Donald rolled off of Goofy's stomach and wearily looked up at her.

"Corita, it's the middle of the night! What do you want?" He asked in an irritated voice. Goofy grumbled and started to stand up.

"Ask Sora. He seems to know why." Corita asked, looking over her shoulder. Sora was standing about 15 feet away, staring at the ground, apparantly thinking hard.

"Hey, Sora!" Donald called out, causing Sora's head to jerk up to look at him. "What's up with you?"

Sora stared at him for a few moments, then simply turned around and began up the path without another word. Corita, Donald and Goofy stared at him in awe.

"What's wrong with him? He's never acted this way before..." Corita muttered, worried by Sora's strange behavior.

After about a half hour of trudging along the path, Sora stopped abruptly. This caused his friends, who were walking closely behind, to run into him.

"Sora, what is it now?" Donald asked angrily as Sora looked ahead.

"It's so close now! C'mon, you guys!" Sora called as he took off down the path.

"Sora! I've done enough running tonight! Wait! Aw, why do I even bother?" Corita sighed as she took off behind him, followed by Donald and Goofy.

* * *

The castle was huge.

Jagged tan walls were covered by light blue roofs, and different rooms jutted out from every direction. Behind it, a steep cliff fell down farther than they'd ever seen, and lightning and thunder clapped behind it. The tan path led right to the entrance.

Sora, Corita, Donald and Goofy stared up at the castle, listening to the thunder in the distance. The darkness that they'd been running through the previous moment seemed like nothing that surrounded this place. As they absorbed the sight of the place, Sora took a step forward.

"Let's go, you guys. This castle...is our destination."

Cautiously, the four friends followed the tan path for 30 or so more feet until it faded away. All that was left was the door that led into the castle.

"Allow me." Sora said with a bright grin. Pushing at the door, Sora struggled to get it open. All he could manage was a crack only wide enough to barely squeeze through.

"Pathetic." Donald said. He moved next to Sora and joined in with the pushing. Goofy and Corita, not wanting to be left out, moved up next to him. Eventually, they managed a reasonably-sized entrance.

Sora swallowed hard as he entered the castle, followed closely by Corita, Donald, and Goofy.

The castle's inside was much more appealing than the outside. Smooth, white walls lined a long hallway, while a light blue glow seemed to surround everything. A large door stood atop a small stairway at the very end of the hall. However comforting the interior may appear, the group was still cautious. Every footstep they took echoed around the hall, creating the effect of their being more than only them in the passageway. A tiny cricket poked his head out of Corita's pocket, and he looked around the hallway in silence.

About halfway up the hallway, Donald spoke, breaking this eerie silence.

"Looks like nobody's home."

"You sure we should just barge in like this?" Goofy asked nervously.

"We have to if we're gonna find the King..." Donald said softly.

"The King? King Mickey's here?" Goofy asked in an excited tone.

"Maybe, maybe not. Something told me he'd be here, that's all."

"Really! But...now that you mention it, I was thinkin' the same thing!"

"Are you kidding?" Corita asked, turning to face them. "Something told me that, too!"

"Are you serious? So was I!" Sora exclaimed, looking at them all. "One look at this castle, and I just knew: They're here."

"Well, whaddaya know! Great minds think alike, I guess." Goofy said cheerfully.

"Guess again! This can't be mere coincidence." Chimed in a tiny voice coming from Corita's pocket. Jiminy jumped out and landed softly on the ground. He looked up at the group with a serious look on his face.

"Why, Jiminy?" Donald asked quietly. "Don't tell me that—"

"I felt it, too!"

There was silence for a few moments.

"Gawrsh, maybe it's contagious." Goofy said.

"Or maybe something funny's going on!" Corita growled, looking around the hall. "We should check it out!"

"Okay." Sora agreed, moving towards the door at the end of the hall, followed by Corita.

"Hey, where are you going?" Donald cried.

"To check it out! What's the matter, scared?" Corita taunted, and she could practically see Donald's blood level rising.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! Come on, Goofy!" Donald stuttered, moving towards the two of them.

"Okay, but we should shut the door behind us." Goofy stated politely. He turned away from the group and moved towards the door they'd come in. However, he stopped after taking a few steps, and a loud gasp escaped him.

"Sora!" He cried, pointing towards the door. The group whirled around after hearing his cry, and stared as a mysterious hooded figure, clothed in black, stood before the door, watching them. A strange expression flashed across Sora's face, and he made a dash towards him. However, the figure merely vanished into nothingness.

"Who was that?" Corita asked nervously. Sora shook his head.

"I don't know..."

"There he is!" Donald cried as he turned around once again. The three others follow suit, taking out their weapons and preparing to fight.

"Who IS that?" Sora asked, gripping the Keyblade tightly.

"It must be a Heartless! Let's see how it handles my magic!" Donald growled, holding up his staff. "THUNDER!"  
His voice rang out through the hall, but nothing happened. After a few moments, Donald looked at his staff, perplexed. "Huh? That's odd...THUNDER!"

Again, nothing happened. Corita turned her head to Donald, looking like she was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Um...fire! Blizzard?" Donald said, getting increasing nervous about making a fool of himself in front of Corita, his eternal magic rival.

"Why isn't my magic working?" He cried, banging his staff against the floor.

"I should think it's obvious." said the hooded figure, standing before the door at the end of the hallway, arms crossed. His  
voice cut through the air, sending shivers down the group's backs. "The moment you set foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and ability you knew...though the forgetting does not end there ."

"Every spell?" Corita croaked feebly, looking down at her staff in dismay.

"In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way of things in Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked.

"Yes...Here you will meet people you know. People you miss." The figure said, standing as still as stone.

"Look, there's no one-" Sora began, but then a familiar face floated to the surface of his memory. "Riku! You mean Riku! He IS here!" Sora said happily.

The hooded stranger stared at him for a moment. "Do you want to find him? If you do..."

In a split second, a dark shadow was passing through the group. Cold as ice and fast as lightning, the group barely know what had hit them. Whirling around, Sora spotted the stranger back where he'd been before, holding something in his hand.

"What did you do?" Sora cried.

"I sampled your memories. And from them, I made this. This is the key to reuniting with those you hold dear." He said, holding up something. He tossed it to Sora, and Sora caught it gingerly in his hands.

"What is this, a card?" Sora asked.

"A promise. Use that card and press on. You will find your friend."

Sora53: DUN DUN DUN!  
Sora Fangirls: OOH! IT'S SORA!  
Sora: Oh no. Not again.  
Joe: -sob- POOR CORITA! SO...SAD!  
Corita: Aw, deal with it. You shall see what happens...-


	3. Master the cards

---Sora53: -is playing CoM-  
Fans: Oh dear. Here come the Riku Fangirls.  
Riku Fangirls: WE HEARD THERE WAS RIKU IN THIS CHAPTER!  
Sora53: Uh...no...-runs far away-  
Riku Fangirls: COME BACK HERE!!!  
Sora53: Just as a notice...here's something I found out today! Never play CoM then try to do your art homework that involves a lot of erasing. It feels kinda weird if you've played the whole game...  
Fans: -runs off to play CoM then do art homework-  
Sora53: YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!---

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but I own Corita. Yay for the third disclaimer!

"Urgh...Where...where am I...?" said a feeble voice. There was nothing surrounding the figure as he lay on the hard ground; nothing but darkness. The figure slowly stood up, trying to look through the darkness that covered him.  
_"Sleep."_  
"Who's there?!" The teenager cried out to the darkness.  
_"Sleep. Here, between light and dark."_  
"Between...what? The king! Where's the king?! Together we closed the door to darkness, and after that... Grr, why can't I remember?"  
_"Your king is far away. Sleep, and leave the war with darkness in his hands. The thorny light of awakening will bring only anguish to one in your state. Turn from the light. Shut your eyes."_  
"You talk like I'm some kind of demon of the dark." The teenager said, almost jokingly.  
The voice was silent for a moment. _"Can you face the truth?"_ Coming down from the darkness was a small orb. It floated downward until it reached level with the teenager's face. The small light emanating from it illuminated his bright, aqua eyes and silver hair.  
_"Here, blanketed by the darkness, sleep is safety. Sleep is eternal."  
_"Is this...a card?" he wondered, reaching out for it.  
_"It is a door to the truth. Take it, and your sleep ends. Take it, and take the first step toward the truth. But know this: The truth will bring you pain. Will you still go? There can be no returning to the sweet security of sleep."_  
"Yeah, well... Seems like a boring place to take a nap anyway." he said, taking the card from the orb. The light that emanated from it vanished as he held it.  
_"Well said, Riku..."  
_----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sora glared at the mysterious figure, then looked down at the card that was in his hand. It was a simple rectangle, with three spikes at the top. The image on the card looked oddly familiar.  
"This is Traverse Town!" Sora cried, looking at the image on the card. The accessory shop was clearly visible, as well as the duckling's item shop. "But how do I use it?"  
"Walk up to this door and hold it above your head. That will open the way." The figure said, then vanished.  
Corita looked down at the card Sora was holding. "Should we trust him?"  
"It's not like we have a choice." Sora said calmly as he walked towards the door. Once he'd moved up the steps leading to it, he held the card high over his head as his friends watched from behind.  
"Like this?" Sora asked.  
_"Yes. Go, Sora. To lose and claim anew, or to claim anew only to lose..."  
_As he held the card over his head, a bright white light shot out from it. It surrounded the group, engulfing them in brightness. Sora shut his eyes for a moment to block out some of the light, and the light around him dimmed. When he opened his eyes, he could barely believe what he saw.

"Wait, this can't be right. We're in Traverse Town!"  
So it would seem. The familiar lights of the town twinkled before him as he saw the Accessory Shop, the duckling's shop, and even the familiar pathways to the shops.  
"It isn't reality that you see. This town is an illusion conceived by your memories ingrained in that card." echoed the voice of the hooded figure as he appeared before Sora.  
"My memories?" Soraasked as Jiminy hopped out of his pocket.  
"Forget about that, Sora! We're three heads short!" Jiminy cried. Sora turned around, expecting to see his friends, but all he saw was the emptiness of Traverse Town.  
"Corita? Donald? Goofy!?" Sora yelled out as he ran towards the emptiness, but there was nothing there to comfort him. "Guys, where are you?!"  
He could feel the hooded stranger's eyes piercing into his back as he stood away from him. Fearing the worst, he turned around to face him.

"What did you do with them?"  
"They are at the mercy of the cards now." He explained calmly. "Master the cards, and their strength will be yours again. The laws of this castle require that your friends be transformed into cards. If you value your friends, you will pick them up without fail." The hooded figure tossed a card to Sora, and Sora grabbed them as they flew through the air. Looking at what he held in his hands, a gasp escaped him.  
"Corita...?"  
The card he held in his hands was identical to the one of Traverse Town, but instead of images of the city, a portrait of his sister was placed on it.  
"When Heartless appear, your friends will become cards. The cards you use vanish, but they will reappear to aid you time and again. Cards are the hearts of your friends."  
"Corita's...heart?" Sora said softly as he held the card.  
"Yes." The figure said. "Cards rule in Castle Oblivion. You'll need them to attack, proceed through the castle...and find who you hold dear."

After he'd finished speaking, the card he'd been holding flew out of his hands and floated 4 feet away from him. It turned into a bolt of light, and after a few seconds, Corita appeared where the card had been moments before. Two cards the hooded stranger were holding did the same, and Donald and Goofy appeared in a similar fashion.  
"Are you guys all right? Where have you been?" Sora said to the three, who were apparently very dizzy.  
"You tell us!" Donald cried, rubbing his head. "When you opened the door, there was this weird light...and the rest is a big blank."  
"Well, try to remember what happened. I need to keep my journal up to date." Jiminy said to them, happily leaping back onto Corita's head.  
"Master the cards and make your way through the castle. From here on, you walk alone." The figure said to Sora, interrupting the moment.  
"What, you're saying we can't go with him?" Corita cried. "He has to fight through the castle by himself?!"  
"Corita, calm down!" Sora said.  
"No! You've been speaking in nothing but riddles, telling us nothing directly..." Corita yelled, having reached her limit.  
"Oh, this is fun. Corita yelling at someone else." Donald said merrily.  
"I'd watch my temper if I were you, Princess." The hooded figure said to her.  
"Don't call me that!" Corita found herself shouting.  
"You want me to go alone? Fine. I can take care of myself." Sora interrupted before Corita wore herself out.  
"Hmm, the hero speaks boldly. Go, then. The rest of Castle Oblivion awaits. Walk the avenues of latent memory, and you shall meet someone dear to you." With these final words, the figure tossed more cards to Sora, and vanished.  
"I have a really bad feeling about this..." Jiminy muttered.  
"Relax, Jiminy. I'm ready for any tricks he's got up his sleeve. How hard can it be to figure out these cards?" Sora said, holding up theones he'd just received.  
"Yeah, well..." Corita muttered. "We'd just better not see him again for a while, or else."  
"Are you okay?" Goofy asked her.  
"I just can't stand him. I don't know why..." She said slowly.  
"Don't worry about it. If he shows up again and you get into a shouting contest, I'll take him down with these cards!" Sora said to her, holding them up.

---Sora53: DUN DUN DUN!  
Fans: Ooh, the 'hooded figure' must've touched a nerve.  
Corita: Feel my power! -takes out staff-  
Fans: NOOO!!! HELP ME!!! -runs away-  
Corita: GET BACK HERE! -chases-  
Sora53: By the way, if there are any non-punctuation marks, it's not my fault. The quickedit page keeps deleting some of them...but I do the best I can to restore them all.  
Riku Fangirls: -are all dead from the Riku-ness-  
Sora53: Oo---


	4. Reunion

---Sora53: Chapter 4! Now, I would have posted it 3 weeks ago, but due to circumstances beyond my control...-cough-  
_my dad forgot to pay the phone bill and then tried to pay it but paid the wrong bill so he switched us to a new plan and we had to wait 2 weeks for it to get hooked up_ -cough- ...I only just got it up :D.  
Fans: ...meh.  
Joe: So, how is this a rhapsody?  
Sora53: BE SILENT, FOOL! YOU MUST BE PATIENT!  
Joe: MEEP! -hides behind Corita-  
Corita: I WILL BLAST YOU!  
Riku/Sora fangirls: Wh00t!--- 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but I own Corita. Meh.

Riku looked around wildly, stunned at what he saw. He'd used the card just as the voice had told him, yet he was in one of the last places he ever wanted to see again.  
"This is Maleficent's castle! How'd I end up HERE? Someone must have brought me here while I was sleeping! But who...?"  
"_What you see is not real. It's the world of your memory_." responded the same voice that had spoken to him in the darkness.  
"My memory..."  
"_The things you remember of Maleficent's castle from your time there. Those memories became a card, and that card made this world. The things you see... you've seen them all before, haven't you_?"  
"Yeah... So what now? Am I supposed to learn something while I'm here? Maybe run into someone I know?" Riku called out to nothingness.  
"_Ordinarily...yes. You would meet the people in your memories._"  
"Ordinarily?" Riku questioned. The air, however, stood still, and no voice responded to him. "Hey, I'm asking you a question!" Riku yelled angrily.  
"Fine." He said bitterly after a few moments. "But it'd better be you I run across next, Voice. I'm sick of talking to thin air."  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
Goofy hummed merrily as he walked next to Donald, who was walking behind Sora. Corita stood next to Sora, staring at the ground, and the four of them were making their way through the town.  
"It's quiet. Too quiet." Sora said jokingly to Corita as they headed into the Third District.  
"Oh, don't do that." Corita said, her head still hanging.  
"Look, Corita! This is the first place I ever said that to you."  
Corita jerked her head up and looked at their surroundings. They had indeed entered the Third District of the phantom Traverse Town as she'd stared at the ground.  
"Hey, you're right!" She said, remembering. She walked over to a corner of the district, and looked up. "And this is where Goofy and Donald first fell on top of us."  
"Not one of my fonder memories." Sora said happily as he walked over to her. They stood there for a moment, reminiscing about the past, until Corita began to glow with a strange light.  
"Uh, Corita? What's up with you?" Sora asked as he stepped away from her. Looking behind him, he saw the same thing was happening to Donald and Goofy.  
"Sora, look out! There are Heart-" As Corita spoke, the light covered her completely, and within a split second she'd vanished. Lying on the ground where she'd stood moments before was a card with her face on it. Sora leaned down and picked it up, and ran back and did the same with the Donald and Goofy cards. 20 feet in front of him were a few Shadow Heartless, as dangerous as ever.  
"Time to try out the power of the cards!" Sora said to himself as he looked at the three in his hand. If his instincts served him right...  
He gingerly held the Donald card in his left hand, and held it high above his head as the Heartless came closer. The card flashed brightly, and Donald appeared, staff in hand. He let out a blast of thunder, striking the Heartless. As quickly as he'd appeared, however, he vanished in a cloud of light.  
"So this is how they work..." Sora said to himself. He chose the Goofy card out of the remaining two, and repeated what he'd done with the Donald card. This time, of course, Goofy appeared instead of Donald, and ran towards them with his shield, and several of the Heartless vanished.  
"Just one card left..." Sora said softly as he looked down at Corita's face. He spent too much timelooking at the card,anda clawed hand struck him from behind. Sora winced as the pain resonated through his body. Almost through instinct, he held up the Corita card, and felt a familiar warmth spread through him as he sensed Corita next to him. As soon as the feeling came, however, it vanished...  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
"It's like he said — everything's just how I remember it. Even this room..." Riku muttered. He'd been proceeding through Hollow Bastion as he used to, and he'd traversed his way back to his old room. Everything was exactly as he'd left it. Books scattered near the bookshelf, the bed neatly made.  
_"It must be nice being back in your old bedroom. Think of all the memories..."_ "You again." Riku said to the air as the familiar voice filled the air. "Sorry, but these memories I could do without. Maleficent gave me this room."  
_"So she did. And you lived here, tempted by the darkness she offered. You cast away your home, your friends, everything... But at least they gave you a nice room."_ The Voice taunted.  
"Shut up." Riku growled as he turned his back to his old bedroom and went back out to the castle.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
"Hmm, fighting alone isn't as easy as I thought..." Sora muttered, clutching his Keyblade. He'd just defeated the last Heartless, and the town around him was still and silent.  
Just as it had happened before, bolts of light appeared on the ground next to him. Within moments, Corita, Donald, and Goofy had appeared next to him. Sora lept backwards in suprise.  
"Aaaah!! Don't pop out of nowhere like that!" Sora cried as his friends recovered from their dizziness.  
"Yeah, like we can help it." Corita muttered under her breath.  
"We don't know what's going on either, Sora." Donald said.  
"Gawrsh, your fighting's gotten kinda rusty. You sure you don't need us?" Goofy asked kindly.  
"I'm fine, honest." Sora told them.  
"Think like that, and you're as good as Heartless fodder." said a familiar voice.  
"That's Leon's voice!" Goofy cried happily.  
Leon, it's you! What are you doing in Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked as Leon walked towards them.  
Leon simply stared at them like they were insane. "Castle Oblivion? What are you talking about? This is Traverse Town. And how do you know my name? I've never seen any of you before in my life." They were silent for a moment. "Quit playing, Leon! We all fought the Heartless together! You know that!" Sora yelled.  
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know your names." Leon said. The group stared at him in disbelief. It was certainly Leon. Same clothes, same face...yet he didn't seem to remember them at all.  
"You don't?" Goofy asked sadly.  
"Sorry." Leon said coolly.  
"I can't believe it. How can you have forgotten about us?" Sora asked slowly.  
"Hey, I feel for you. But you've got the wrong guy. Happens all the time. Don't take it so personally, Sora."  
"See, you DO know his name!" Corita said happily.  
"Now, now hold on! Why do I know your name?" Leon wondered outloud.  
"Stop kidding around!" Corita yelled to him.  
"I'm not kidding, Corita! I swear I didn't..." Leon stopped, shocked by what he'd said.  
"You think Leon is just kidding around?" Goofy whispered to Donald.  
"If he is, it's not very funny. Sora's really hurt." Donald whispered back.  
"Who's kidding around, Goofy? You and Donald are the ones who —" Leon said as they stared at him. "I don't get it... What's happened to my memory?"  
"I dunno, Leon. Maybe Aerith was onto something after all." said another familiar voice. The group turned to see Yuffie walking towards Leon, who had a very confused look on his face.  
"She said she sensed some uncanny kind of power and asked us to look into it. Well, we looked. And this is as uncanny as it gets. Maybe we should bring Sora and the others to Aerith." Yuffie said as she stopped next to Leon.  
"Yuffie, you know my name!" Sora said happily.  
Yuffie turned to him. "Yep! Looks like you know mine, too."  
"A friend of yours?" Leon asked her.  
Yuffie shook her head. "Nope! Total stranger. But I definitely know his name. Strange, yes, but convenient! We can skip the introductions."  
"Well, gee, I guess all our problems are solved." Corita said sarcastically.  
"Anyways, I'm gonna run ahead and fill Aerith in. Leon, you give Sora and the others the grand tour. See ya later!" "Well, let's get on with it. Come on, follow me. Be careful, though. There are still Heartless wandering around town." Leon said to them as he watched Yuffie walk away.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
"No one here, either... there's nothing but Heartless in this castle. Voice! I know you're watching...so explain this: where are the people from my memories? Tell me!" Riku called out as he stood on the castle, the sunset casting a bloody glow over the place.  
_"Are you sure you want to see them?"_ The voice asked.  
"Of course I do!" Riku cried.  
_"But you cast them aside. To reach the outside world, you passed through the door to darkness. Behind you, you left family, friends, home...everything...all in pursuit of darkness."_ The voice taunted as Riku's fists clenched in fury.  
"But I cast that aside, too!" Riku yelled in anger.  
_"Then what do you have to show for it?"_ The voice asked coldly. _"First your home, then the dark. Your heart only knows how to throw things away. It's empty, like that room. Like your memories. That's why no one is in the castle with you. Your heart is hollow except for the darkness you couldn't quite shake off."_  
"You're full of it! I rejected the darkness!"  
_"Ha ha ha..."_ the voice chuckled. _"Did you really, now?"  
_-----------------------------------------------------------------  
"Aerith, tell me you haven't forgotten me, too." Sora said softly as he stood in front of her. Leon had led them to the familiar vacant house that they'd spent so much time in, plotting against the Heartless.  
Aerith's eyes stared into Sora's. "I don't know whether to say 'nice to meet you' or 'good to see you again.'" she said truthfully. "It feels like a little of both. I don't think I know you, but I still feel like you belong here."  
"Yeah, exactly! Like we've never met, but it still doesn't feel weird knowing your name." Yuffie said from the corner of the room.  
"But I'm telling you, we HAVE met. We took on the Heartless together. We were a team!" Sora cried.  
"It feels like you're right... But I can't remember." Leon muttered.  
"Then I guess you won't remember what you told me." Sora said sadly. "In Hollow Bastion, when I sealed the Keyhole: 'We may never meet again..."  
"...but we'll never forget each other."  
"See, you do remember!" Corita yelled at Leon.  
"They're right, Leon! I remember you saying that, too." Yuffie said to him.  
"I guess I can't write it off as a coincidence, then." Leon said calmly.  
"I don't think I have any memory of it...but somehow I still remember. Maybe Sora's heart is doing the remembering for us." Aerith thought aloud.  
"How does THAT work?" Sora asked.  
"We don't know you, Sora, but your heart is full of memories of us together. Those memories must resonate in our hearts, too. Maybe they tell us things we couldn't otherwise know." Aerith explained.  
"So you're saying that Sora's memories are affecting ours?" Yuffie asked.  
"His memories do seem to have a certain power..."  
"Maybe it's like that guy said, then." Sora said, crossing his arms. "This town is just an illusion. Something my memories created."  
"And...there's someone special to you in this town?" Aerith asked.  
"How did you ..." Sora started, then he remembered what she'd just said. "Ah, I get it. My memories are resonating with yours, telling you what happened. Anyway, yeah. A friend of mine is somewhere in this town — I mean, Castle Oblivion."  
"Castle Oblivion?" Yuffie said, puzzled. "What's that? There aren't any castles in Traverse Town."  
"That's not quite what he means..." Corita said slowly.  
"We just got here, anyway. It wouldn't hurt to take a look around." Sora said.  
"Then go have a walk around town. There are Heartless, but that's no problem for you." Leon said to him.  
"Ha! So you know I can fight!" Sora yelled, excited.  
"I can't say I remember..." Leon said slowly. "...but I am starting to believe."

---Sora53: Fwee! You know what I missed most about writing mah fanfic?  
Fans:...your sanity?  
Sora53: No! The dun dun dun's!  
Fans: That was hardly a dun dun dun moment.  
Joe: DUN DUN DUN!  
Sora53: Thank you, Joe. For that, I will tell you what happens to Corita inda ficcy!  
Joe: O-o takes out a notebook  
Corita: NO FAIR! How come he gets to know before I do!?---


	5. Illusions

---Sora53: -snore- -snore-  
Fans: -snore- -snore-  
Corita: -snore- -snore-  
Joe: Hmm...they're asleep! TIME FOR THE TORTURE! -opens a random door- -Naminé walks in-  
Naminé: Uh...what am I doing here?  
Joe: Naminé, rewrite their memories!  
Naminé: Hmm, okay.--- 

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM. But I own Corita. Haha.

"This is insane." Corita muttered under her breath as the group left the vacant house. "How could this happen? They forget us, yet they remember us...what the heck's up with this castle?"  
"I don't know..." Sora said thoughtfully. "The man at the start told us...that this town is an illusion created by these." He said, holding up some cards. The group walked down the steps that lead from the vacant house down into the wide area of the Third District. Everything was the same...the fountain, the wide door, the map.  
"Look, it's Cid!" Donald said, pointing a feathered finger at a figure standing near the fountain.  
"You're right!" Goofy said. "Gawrsh, let's go say hi!"  
The group dashed up to the lone figure, who's back was to them. As he heard the footsteps approaching, he turned around, a grin on his face. "Well, whaddaya know. It's Sora!" He said as the group stopped in front of him. The grin from his face vanished in an instant as he looked down at the blue-eyed hero. "Wait, what am I saying? I don't know you."  
"I guess everyone in Traverse Town is like this..." Sora said sadly.  
"But you do LOOK like a Sora, what with the spiky hair and baggy pants... Guess I just call 'em like I see 'em."  
"It's okay, Cid. That's my name." Sora muttered calmly, crossing his arms.  
"So you've heard of me! Well, I can't say as I'm surprised." Cid said proudly.  
"Anyway, maybe you can help us out. A friend of mine's supposed to be somewhere in this castle...er, town." Sora corrected himself quickly when he saw Cid's confused expression.  
"Yer friend, huh?" Cid asked.  
"Yeah! His name is Riku! He has silver hair and..." Corita started to say, but Cid held up a hand to stop her.  
"Sorry, kiddos. Lately all this town sees is Heartless. Can't even take two steps without gettin' attacked. This plaza's the worst. Word is we'll have a jumbo-sized Heartless on our hands when that bell rings. If you value your hide, you'll get out of here while the gettin's good."  
Cid took one last look at the area around them, and then stalked off towards the vacant house.  
"Gawrsh, maybe we should go." Goofy said after Cid was no longer visable.  
"Don't you want to see the Heartless?" Sora asked.  
"No, we don't!" Corita said sternly. "Don't you remember? Every time you ask us that, it winds up with us almost getting killed...THE BELL!"  
"Sora, look out!" Donald squawked as the light began to surround him. As Sora's friends began to turn into cards yet again, the bell's ringing caused an echo through the whole plaza, and a loud rumbling from behind him...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"GAH! There's no one here..." Riku cried as he climbed the final flight of stairs to the Castle Chapel. Glaring at the doorway he'd gone in so many times, he approached it one last time. Throwing it open, he stepped through the doorway and proceeded down the hallway. In front of him, facing the opposite direction.  
"I knew you'd return, Riku." came the cold, cruel voice of Maleficent. The witch turned to face Riku, who was staring up at her with mixed emotions.  
"Maleficent! You're alive?!" Riku yelled.  
"You haven't been paying attention. I am but a figment of your memory." She said calmly, staring down at Riku.  
"Of all the people I had to run into, it had to be you..." Riku muttered as he turned his head away from her eyes.  
"Who else? Your heart is steeped in darkness. You can only see people who exist in that same darkness...people like me."  
"No..." He said softly, still refusing to look at her.  
"Be grateful you have someone to keep you company. Your heart is empty. Were it not for the darkness in your heart...you would be completely alone." She said icily.  
"That's sounding pretty good right about now." Riku said coolly, looking back up at her with loathing in his eyes.  
"Come, now. You once clung to me to sate your hunger for darkness. You want me here. Who else but I can give you the darkness you long for?" Riku was silent for a few moments. He looked up at the witch, and she stared down at him, her eyes mocking him.  
"There was a time I did want you around." He said slowly. "I surrendered my heart to the dark. But never again. You and your darkness have nothing to offer. All I did was lose myself... Empty myself! I'm finished with all that. If I'm stuck seeing people like you, people of the dark... I'll take you out one...by...one." He said angrily, whisking out his sword.  
"Then don't forget to take yourself out last. Because you, like me, are one of the dark." She said, her voice growing more menacing.  
"That's fine with me. I turned to darkness because my heart was weak. I hate that weakness. It's like I'm my own enemy. And seeing people like you embrace the darkness just makes it worse! Enough talk, Maleficent." Riku growled, gripping the handle of his sword tightly.  
"So you hate the darkness enough to fight it... Oh, the agony you must feel! Let me end your pain, Riku...end it forever with the wondrous power of darkness!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So your friend wasn't here?" Yuffie asked kindly as she looked at Sora. "No, I don't think I'll find him in this town. But he's somewhere in this castle. I just know it."  
"Castle? Like this whole town's inside some humongous castle? Hoo, that's rich!" Cid boomed heartily.  
"He's probably right, Cid. We may not understand what's going on, but Sora does. He can see that reality is bigger than just this world." Leon explained calmly.  
"I wish I was that sure..." Sora said sadly.  
"You'll be okay, Sora. No matter what shape reality takes, you can handle it. I may not remember you, but I know you in my heart." Leon said as he looked at Sora.  
"Leon..."  
"Take care, Sora." Yuffie said as she turned away.  
"I'm a little lost...but best of luck anyway." Cid said, and he turned and followed Yuffie and Leon back to the vacant house.

Sora stood in the middle of the plaza, staring at the ground. He was alone now, utterly alone...  
"Sora! We're back!" Goofy called from behind him. Sora turned to see his three friends in a pile behind him, untangling themselves from each other. The light that surrounded them was fading away, and Coritayelled outas Donald stood up onto her foot.  
"OW! Donald...my foot!"  
Sora smiled as he turned back to the fountain, but Aerith stood there now, looking at him with her kind eyes.  
"What's wrong?" Sora asked. Behind him, he heard Corita and Donald's argument cease.  
"I don't have all the answers, but there's something I thought you should know. Your memories created this town, right?" Aerith asked.  
"That's what the guy who gave me the card said."  
"If that's true, then this town is just a figment of your mind...and so are we." Aerith muttered with a touch of sadness in her voice.  
"But...you can't be a figment! You're standing right here. The town is here, too!" Sora yelled.  
"But I'm not really me. I don't remember the things I should. I sense things I shouldn't. Sora, beware your memories. In the journey to come, you'll be faced with more illusions. Sometimes the shadows of your memory will deceive you, try to lead you astray."  
"So, uh...what exactly does that mean?"  
"I'm just another illusion, Sora. The truth is out of my reach."  
"Don't say stuff like that. It's depressing..." Sora muttered sadly.  
"No, Sora! You mustn't let illusions distract you from what's truly important." Aerith told him.  
"Okay." He said, more confidence in his voice.

"Sora!" Corita called to her brother. Sora turned around, and found that the three of them had stood up, and Donald was no longer standing on Corita's foot.  
"...are you ready to go?" Goofy asked.  
"Yeah, I'll be right there." Sora called to them. "Well, Aerith, I'd better be going... Aerith?" Sora said, looking at where she'd been standing. There was nothing there, however...nothing but the empty town.  
"What about her?" Donald asked.  
"She's gone! I was just talking to her, and now she's gone!" He cried wildly, running forward to where she'd been.  
"Sora, Aerith was never there." Corita told him, stepping forward.  
"Huh?!" He said, turning towards her.  
"You were standing her by yourself. We wondered what was going on..." She said, walking towards him.  
"So this is what she meant..." Sora muttered to himself.  
"Sora? Did you say something?" Corita asked.  
"No, nothing...let's get going." Sora said, looking up at Corita.  
"Yeah!" Corita yelled happily, and she ran back to Donald and Goofy. Sora followed her, and they headed back towards the exit to town.

---Sora53: -snore- -snore-  
Fans: -snore- -snore-  
Corita: -snore- -snore-  
Naminé: It is done, all-powerful Joe. When they wake up, their memories will be rewritten.  
Joe: -cheesy grin- I LOVE being evil!  
Sora/Riku Fangirls: Wh00t! Riku AND Sora goodness!  
Naminé: ...maybe I should get out of here before they wake up...---


	6. Castle Oblostemy?

---Sora53: Oh, great. Another chapter.  
Corita: Next chappie is up!  
Sora53: Duh.  
Fans: BE NICE OR I WILL BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION!  
Joe: ...Naminé, what did you do?  
Naminé: I thought it would be fun to switch around their memories!  
Corita: My memories are switched around? Well, at least I'm not the one who turns into a card!  
Fans: You're mean, Corita.--- 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Heartss, but I own Corita. Muahaha feel my power.

"Well, we survived the first floor of Castle Oblivion." Sora said happily as the four of them climbed the stairs to the next hallway. It looked identical to the entrance hall; smooth white walls.  
"Well, Sora? Did you enjoy meeting your memories?" asked the unknown figure. The group was about halfway up the hallway when he appeared before them.  
"It was good to see everyone again." Sora answered truthfully. "But why show me an illusion? What do you want from me?"  
"That depends on what you have to give." said the figure after a moment. He started to take a step towards Sora.  
Suddenly, another figure appeared in front of the hooded figure. He wore the same black trenchcoat and had red hair, spiky enough to put Sora's hair to shame.

"Boo"  
"What do you want?" The hooded figure sighed.  
"I got bored, what with you hogging the hero." The new figure said lazily. They were both silent for a few moments as Sora, Corita, Goofy and Donald watched them. Finally, the hooded figure threw the new figure some cards.  
"Perhaps YOU'D like to test him." The hooded figure said calmly.  
"Perhaps I would"  
After the new figure had spoken, the hooded figure vanished in the same manner that he had appeared. He gripped the cards and turned around to face the four of them.  
"Looks like it's my show now, Keyblade master." The red-haired figure said, putting the cards away. "My name is Axel. Commit it to memory."  
"Um...sure." Sora said nervously. Next to him, Corita glared up at Axel with an emotion unfamiliar to her eyes: hate.  
"Good, you learn quick." Axel chortled, surveying them from where he stood. "So, Sora, now that we're on a first-name basis..." He said slowly. He then lifted his arms to his sides, and a bright flash surrounded his hands. In an instant, two ring-like weapons, bright red with spikes on them, appeared in his hands. "...don't go dying on me!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why do you shun the dark?" Echoed the voice through the pearl-white walls of Castle Oblivion. Riku stopped walking and crossed his arms.  
"Oh, come on. I know you heard every word I said to Maleficent." Riku said coolly.  
"Darkness is your weapon. I need you to accept it." The voice growled, a tense edge to it now.  
Riku gave a short laugh. "Why do you care?"  
"Stop resisting and accept the darkness. You must...if you are to serve me again!"

Within 8 feet of where Riku stood, an orb of darkness came floating down from the ceiling of Castle Oblivion. It floated down until it reached the floor, where it erupted in a bolt of darkness. Riku closed his eyes until the darkness ceased, and when he opened them, he gave a weak chuckle.  
"Ansem... Just as I thought." Riku muttered as he stared up at Ansem. The self-proclaimed King of Darkness looked down at his former host with mixed emotions.  
"You don't seem surprised." Ansem said, his voice booming through the hallway.  
"You always were chatty when it came to darkness." Riku explained, staring fiercly at him. "So, let me guess...you want to pull me back into the darkness and play puppet master again... right?"  
"Clever boy. You'll make a fine host. Now, surrender to me again and..." Ansem started, but Riku cut him off.  
"You're insane! There won't be an 'again'!" Riku roared. In his rage, he took out his sword and dashed towards Ansem. Ansem eyed him lazily as the silver-haired boy ran towards him. When Riku was 2 feet from him, however, he was pushed violently backwards by a barrier of energy. Riku flew backwards and landed on his front 15 feet away.  
"Did you really think you could harm me? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Sora...and you had darkness on your side." Ansem taunted as he walked towards Riku.  
"Excuse me for...being weak..." Riku muttered painfully as he struggled to stand after the blow.  
"You need the darkness. Submit! Bow to the darkness, and bow to me." Ansem roared as Riku's arms gave out under him.

After a few moments, Riku spoke again. "Not a...chance..."  
"Only darkness can help you now." Ansem answered, and he took a few more steps towards Riku.  
"You're wrong!" called a voice from above. Similar to when Ansem had appeared, an orb floated down from the ceiling. However, this one wasn't filled with the power of darkness, but the power of light.  
"That voice...! Your Majesty, is that you?!" Riku called as he knelt on the ground.  
"You betcha!" called Mickey's voice. "Riku, you're not alone. Listen careful now, Riku. The light'll never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest darkness! But you have to believe!"  
"I will." Riku said to the orb, and he stood up. "Hear that? I'm not losing to the darkness today, Ansem." Riku muttered, his back still to him.  
"You think some feeble light can save you from the darkness I command? Fool!" Ansem cried, and Riku grabbed his sword from the ground and turned to face him, ready to battle.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is he gone?" Corita growled as the light surrounding her faded.  
"I think so..." Sora said to her, looking around the room.  
"Good." She muttered, turning away from her brother.  
"Sora, what are those?" Donald asked, pointing to something on the ground. Sora turned away from him and looked to where he was pointing. Lying on the ground were more cards.  
"Hmm... They look kind of like the card that made Traverse Town." Jiminy said as Sora picked them up.  
"Then we need these to go on..." Sora mumbled, looking up at the doorway.

"Correct." came Axel's voice from the darkness. He reappeared in front of the door to the next floor of the castle.  
"Axel!" Corita cried, leaping back from the stairwell.  
"That's right, my dear Princess. After an introduction like that, you don't think I'd just give up the ghost?" Axel said, looking down at her as she clenched her fists.  
"So you were just testing our strength." Sora said, stepping in front of his sister.  
"Congratulations, Sora. You passed!" Axel said to him. "You're ready to take on Castle Oblivion. Follow your memories. Trust what you remember, seek what you forget...and you will find someone very special."  
"You mean Riku and the king?" Goofy asked.  
"Well, I don't know. You'll just have to give some more thought to who's most important to you. Our most precious memories lie deep in our hearts, out of reach. But you can find yours, Sora."  
"Where? How?" Sora wondered.  
"The light within the darkness. You've lost sight of it, Sora. You've forgotten forgetting." "Light? I don't understand..." Sora muttered.  
"Would you like a hint?" Axel asked, an edge of taunt in his voice's tone.  
"Well, Sora?" Jiminy asked.  
"No, I want to figure it out for myself. And if you get in my way..." Sora growled, summoning the Keyblade into his hands.  
"There's no way he'd dare try that." Corita growled.  
"He won't! We won't let him!" Donald cried.  
"Heh, that's my kind of answer." Axel said. "Just what I'd expect from the Keyblade master. But be forewarned...when your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be you."  
With that, Axel vanished.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That all you've got?" Riku panted, sword still in hand.  
"It seems you are intent on resisting the darkness. Very well. See with your own eyes." Ansem said, holding up several cards.  
"What are those?" Riku asked, lowering his sword.  
"They are cards crafted from your memory. Advance through the worlds they beget, and you will come to understand... Chasing the light will not distance you from the dark. You cannot run." Ansem boomed.  
"Who's running?" Riku asked. "Give me the cards. I'll enter those worlds. And in the end, if I haven't given up...I win."

Ansem smiled and tossed the cards to Riku, who reached up and catched them effortlessly. Riku looked down at the cards he'd just revieved.  
"I have one more gift for you." Ansem said as Riku continued to look at the cards. Ansem lifted his hand, and a strange aura surrounded the silver-haired teenager. Jerking his head away from the cards, Riku felt a strange presence enter his body...flow into his heart.  
"What did you do?!" Riku cried as the aura faded away.  
"I tempered the darkness that remains in your heart." Ansem answered calmly.  
"What, you still think that I'd rely on darkness?" Riku yelled angrily.  
"Whether or not you use it is your choice." After these words, Ansem vanished. Riku ran forward in his rage, weapon held in the air, but nothing remained behind.  
"I'll be waiting, Riku...for you to come to your senses and yield to the darkness!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Corita, are you okay?" Donald asked gingerly as they climbed the stairs to the next pearl-white hallway. "Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Corita asked, looking down at the duck that was walking next to her.  
"Well, it's just you seem to get so...angry when those black-caped guys are around..." Goofy said. Corita looked over Sora's shoulder at him.  
"I just...I can't stand them." Corita said honestly. "The first one we met was bad enough, but there are more."  
"Why? They kinda annoy me, too, but...you just go crazy." Sora stated.  
"The way they call me 'Princess', the way they talk in riddles..." Corita muttered, closing her eyes.  
"Now that you mention their riddles..." Jiminy chirped. "What Axel said's been bothering me... What could he have meant by 'you may no longer be you'?"  
"Come on. How can I be anyone besides me?" Sora asked.  
"I know, I know. Still, it always pays to be careful." Jiminy said simply.  
"Yeah, just about anything could happen here in Castle Oblibbity...uh, Oblostemy..." Goofy struggled for the right word.  
"Oblivion!" His three friends yelled.  
"Right, what you guys said." Goofy chortled.  
"We'll be fine. Whatever they're cooking up, together we can handle it." Sora confidently said.

"Hey, remember that other castle we explored together? With all the contraptions?" Goofy asked.  
"When was that?" Sora asked, suprised.  
"Contraptions? I don't remember any castle like that. What was it called?" Donald wondered.  
"C'mon, you guys are kidding, right?" Corita asked. They looked at her and shook their heads.  
"Gawrsh, what was it again? Holla... Holler... I forget." Goofy mumbled sadly.  
"HOLLOW BASTION! The castle I was kidnapped in TWICE! The castle where Riku and Kairi were!" Corita roared. Her friends leapt backwards in suprise. "Hollow...Bastion?" Sora thought. "I don't remember any castle called Hollow Bastion..." Corita blinked and stared at him. "You...really don't remember?"  
"Are you sure you and Goofy didn't invent it?" Donald squawked.  
"N...never mind." Corita muttered, staring at the ground.  
_  
In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way of things in Castle Oblivion._

---Corita: Yes, finally a bit of original ficciness at the end!  
Sora53: Meh. It's just going to get worse, isn't it?  
Joe: ...this is kind of painful to watch.  
Fans: -sob- MEAN AXEL!  
Sora53: Oh, be quiet.  
Naminé: ...should I put them back to normal?  
Joe: Please. The fans make a bad Corita, and Corita is a pretty pathetic Sora53.  
Naminé: I'll put them back to normal...after pizza! -pizza delivery car arrives-  
Joe: Ooh, pizza! .---


	7. Sand Wars

-Naminé: Hehe, welcome everyone!  
Joe: This is good pizza!  
Corita: Ooh! As the fanfic writer, I happily accept a slice of pizza!  
Sora53: O.o -steals pizza-  
Corita: NOOO!  
Fans: Why is Sora53 so violent?  
Naminé: O.o  
Joe: O.o  
Naminé: I'll get to work...- 

Disclaimer: No, I don't own KH or anything like it. But I do own Corita. AND THIS PIZZA MUAHAHA!

Riku took the last few steps up to the next hallway of the castle, squinting from the brightness of the place. Sighing, he headed towards the small platform and doorway at the end of the hall, identical to when he'd first arrived here.  
"Something...tastes kind of funny..." he said suddenly, halting. "What is it? It's so familiar..."  
Searching the back of his mind for what the taste could be, he realized it in a moment with a tough of resentment.  
"Darkness." He muttered bitterly. "The taste of darkness. What's happened to me... The darkness even seeps into my senses."  
"Don't you worry, Riku." called out a heart-warming voice. Looking up, Riku saw an orb of light similar to the one he'd seen earlier float down from the ceiling. When it hit the ground, a fuzzy image of Mickey appeared.  
"Your Majesty!" Riku called as he moved towards the image. "What happened to you? You're all...fuzzy."  
"I can only send a little bit of my power here." Mickey explained. "But I have a request."  
"A request? From Your Majesty?"

"Riku, don't let go of yourself just because darkness has a hold on you." Mickey told him, voice full of concern. "Fight the darkness inside you! It won't be easy... But don't forget! Even in the darkest darkness, there's always a little light." "Light...within darkness..."  
"You and I have seen it!" Mickey said happily. "The far-off, welcoming light inside the door to darkness... The light of Kingdom Hearts, Riku...it'll show you the way. Please don't give up. Believe in the light. That's all I ask."  
"Okay...I'll try my best." Riku told him, nodding.  
"And I'll try to find a way to reach you. I'll come, I promise." Mickey said. He held out his hand in a welcoming manner, and Riku reached down to try to shake it. The teen's hand passed right through the King, however, and Riku looked down at him in disbelief.  
"You're...an illusion? My hand passes right through you." Riku said in despair.  
"But we shook hands, in our hearts. We're connected, you and me." Mickey told him, letting his arm fall back to his side.  
"Yeah...I guess so." Riku muttered softly. With one final smile, Mickey's fuzzy form faded away into the still air of Castle Oblivion, leaving Riku alone again.

* * *

"Holler Basment?"  
"Hollow Bastion, Goofy."  
"Hankie Battle?"  
"Hollow Bastion."  
"Hava Burger?"  
"GAH!" Corita roared. Goofy hung his head and turned back to trudge along with Sora and Donald.  
"Sorry, Corita. It's just...Hollow Bastion doesn't sound right."  
"Say what you will. It's the truth." Corita told him.  
"Stop acting like this, Corita." Sora said. "It's not our fault you're going crazy."  
"I am not...HEY!" she yelled, causing Donald, Goofy, and Sora to roar with laughter.  
"Maybe you guys are the ones going crazy." Corita said, smacking Sora lightly on the head. "I, for one, will never forget Hollow Bastion."  
Sora rolled his eyes at his sister. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now, does it? I just have to use these cards Axel gave me, and we can get to the next floor."  
Choosing one carefully out of the deck, Sora gripped the individual card and placed the rest safely in his pocket. He stepped onto the small platform in front of the door and held the card above his head. All around him went white once again, and he felt himself being pulled forward.

Sora landed on the soft ground, and he felt sand spread between his fingers and into his hair. Dizzily, the Keyblade Master got to his knees and brushed the sand out of his hair. Nearby, Donald and Corita were yelling at each other once again.  
"DONALD! You got sand in my hair!"  
"I didn't! There's sand all around, you just fell into it!"  
"I saw you throw some at me!"  
"YOU WANNA FIGHT?"  
"BRING IT ON, DUCK BOY!"  
"CORITA! DONALD! BE QUIET!" Sora roared, standing up and brushing sand off of his pants. The two quickly became silent. The glaring sun overhead was quickly causing Sora to overheat, and he thought he heard something in the distance.  
"Hey! We're in Agrabah!" Corita said, looking around after she'd brushed all the sand off her.  
"Agrabah?" Goofy asked.  
"Sssh! You guys! I think I hear something..." Sora muttered. In the distance, someone calling for help...  
"I don't hear anything..." Corita mumbled.  
"You know you have bad hearing." He said. After a moment, he started to run forward. " Someone's in trouble."

Goofy followed behind instantly, but Donald and Corita were in an argument again.  
"I don't know what you're talking about, I didn't throw sand at your head, Corita..."  
"I SAW you! Don't make me take you down!"  
"GAH! SORA AND GOOFY ARE GONE!"  
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, DONALD!"  
"MY FAULT? Look, there are there footprints in the sand. Let's follow them!"  
"Oh, now he's Mr. Genius Duck Boy..."

Corita and Donald began to run, following the footprints left behind by Sora and Goofy. They ran past a few buildings and turned a corner, promptly running into the very two they'd been following.  
"OW! Corita, what was that for?"  
"No time! Sora, look at that!" Corita yelled, pointing her finger at the figures ahead. In a small plaza, about 30 feet from where they stood, a young man was under attack by several Heartless.  
"We'd better do something!" Donald cried, rushing forward. The four of them ran the short distance to the man, who was struggling against the Heartless fiends.  
"Looks like you could use some help!" Sora said boldly to the man.  
"Thanks! I thought I was done for!" The man said, looking down at Sora. Sora whisked the Keyblade into his hands in a bright flash of light, and behind him his companions began to once again glow as they turned into cards.

* * *

"Whew...that was close." The man said, brushing his black hair out of his face. Sheathing his sword, he turned to the Keyblade Master.  
"Thanks, um..."  
"Sora."  
"Thanks, Sora." The man said gratefully. "I'm Aladdin." At that moment, Corita, Donald, and Goofy once again popped out of thin air, but Sora didn't take much notice, as he'd grown used to it.

"I'M SICK OF POPPING OUT OF THIN AIR!" Corita howled as Donald once again stood on her foot. "Uh oh!" Goofy cried, pointing to Sora's side. More Heartless had appeared, their yellow eyes glowing maliciously.  
"They just keep coming!" Donald roared as Corita stood up and knocked him to the ground. The Heartless were beginning to slowly creep towards the group.  
"Time to see if the legends are true..." Aladdin said, moving in front of the group and shielding them from the Heartless. He reached into the deep pocket of his baggy tan pants and pulled out a bright, golden lamp.  
"Magic lamp, my first wish! Get rid of these Heartless!" Aladdin yelled out to thin air as the Heartless prepared to pounce on him. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, bright blue smoke began to emanate from the inside of the lamp Aladdin was holding. The smoke quickly rose into the air and began forming a shape. After a few seconds of everyone watching in awe, a magical Genie appeared.

"Genie!" Corita said happily. Donald looked at her like she was crazy.  
"Did someone say "wish"? Then stand back, kids, genie of the lamp coming through! There ain't nothin' I can't make right as rain...well, if we HAD rain. But enough dry jokes! One Heartless disappearing act, coming right up!"  
The bright blue Genie merely snapped his fingers, and all the approaching Heartless vanished in a puff of darkness.  
"Gawrsh!" Goofy cried as the Heartless evaporated into the air. After a moment, Donald asked, "Why didn't you call him in the first place?"

Aladdin looked down at Donald, who was tapping his foot impatiently. "It's not that simple. You see..."  
"I couldn't have said it better myself. But I will anyway! I'm strictly limited to three wishes per master. And no wishing for more wishes!" Genie interrupted, doing a little genie-dance around Aladdin and Sora's head. After he'd explained this, he began to condense into a small ball of blue smoke, which then vanished back into the lamp from whence it came.  
"So you've got two wishes left? Better use them carefully." Sora told him wisely as Aladdin picked the lamp up off the ground and tucked it back into his pocket.  
"I've got to get back to the palace somehow. But with all these Heartless..." Aladdin muttered sadly, hanging his head.  
"Hey, Sora. We're headed that way too, so why don't we go with Aladdin?" Corita asked, her bright blue eyes looking into Sora's.  
"Hmm...that's not a bad idea, Corita! What do you think?" He asked Aladdin. Aladdin's head instantly perked up, and a smile grew on his face.  
"That would be great! Thanks, guys."  
"So, where's the palace?" Goofy asked.  
"It's that way." Aladdin and Corita said, pointing their fingers towards the area where the group had first arrived in Agrabah. Corita looked at her companions's bewildered faces and quickly put down her hand.  
"Um...lucky guess?"

-Sora53: Uh...where am I?  
Corita: JOE! GET OVER HERE!  
Fans: Ugh, another chappie.  
Joe: Everything is as it should be.  
Naminé: Yes.  
Corita: HEY! Joe, if you let me read that notebook of yours...  
Joe: What, the notebook that says what's gonna happen to you?  
Corita: Mmmhmmm! I'll give you something.  
Sora53: NO GIFT-GIVING!  
Sora Fangirls: Sora53, do you care to comment on the fanfic currently?  
Sora53: Um...no. Let the reviewers ponder it :D-

-Final notice- I ish taking a poll! Do you like the more compressed version of the fanfic that 'Memory's Rhapsody' has been following, or do you prefer the more loose format that 'Twin Hearts' was following? Tell meh :D-


	8. Split Personality

-Sora53: Heylo, everyone! Nice long chappie finishing up Agrabah!  
Fans: Whoo hoo.  
Naminé-sob- I'm not in this chappie!  
Sora53-shifty eyes- or are you?  
-dozens of Naminé fangirls burst in the front door-  
Corita: Joe.  
Joe: What is it, my wonderful Corita?  
Corita: If you let me read that notebook of yours...  
Joe: Uh huh...  
Corita: I'll give you the biggest kiss of your life!  
Joe-does the happy dance- 

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything else expect Corita. Meh.

"Does Corita have a split personality?" Aladdin asked as he, Sora, and Goofy watched as yet another fight broke out between her and Donald.

"Why do you think that?" Sora asked.

"Well, it's just that half the time, she's really kind and caring..." Aladdin said slowly.

"And then the other half of the time, she's threatening to blast Donald into oblivion." Goofy finished as Sora looked at them.

"Hmm...I guess you're right...let's try an experiment." Meanwhile, Corita and Donald's bickering continued.

"No, Donald, I'm telling you that I SAW you..."

"You're wrong! You must be seeing things, Princess!"

"GAH! DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Hey, Corita!" Sora called out. "Goofy fell down and hurt himself!"

"What? Goofy fell?" Corita cried, turning towards the other three of the group, her voice full of concern. She ran forward to them, looking up at Goofy.

"Goofy, do you need help? A potion? Does it hurt a lot?"

As she said this sentence, the others besides Goofy started cracking up. After she'd finished speaking, Goofy joined it the laughter, and Corita surveyed them with looks of disgust.

"You guys are mean."

After the four guys finished their insane laughter at the expense of Corita, they began to trudge towards the palace once again.

"So, uh, why are you going to the palace, Aladdin?" Goofy inquired.

"It's this magic lamp I found in the Cave of Wonder. I need to get it to the palace right away! I'm lucky I made it back to Agrabah in one piece! The cave was crawling with Heartless." Aladdin sighed, holding up the lamp he'd used earlier.

"Wasn't there anyone else there to help you out?" Sora asked.

"I know how you feel, Master. I've been delivering happiness for 2,000 years. And what help do I get? I keep dreamin' someone will wish me outta this gig. But go figure the odds on that." said Genie, who had drifted lazily out of the lamp as Aladdin held it up.

"Well, how 'bout I use my third wish to set you free?" Aladdin asked Genie, who was now floating over their heads.  
With these words, Genie nearly fell out of the air. After he'd composed himself again, he said in a rather excited tone, "Doth my pointy ears deceive me? Master, you'd do that for me? You're not just pullin' my topknot now, are you?" Genie wondered, his voice suddenly with a slight touch of bitterness.

"I promise, Genie. Anyway, there's only one thing I really want."

"Then we'll just have to DO something about that, Al! Can I call you Al?" Genie cried happily, soaring overhead. "So, what'll it be? Fame? Fortune? A herd of luxury camels to call your very own!"

"He's getting pretty emotional about this." Corita whispered to Goofy, who began to laugh once again. He covered his mouth to stifle his laughter as Aladdin spoke again.

"Well, there's this girl. Her name is Jasmine. She's princess of Agrabah. And...that's the problem. It's hard for a guy like me to get a chance to see her. That's how this all started. Jafar, the royal vizier, said he would help me meet Jasmine..."

"Sounds like your wish should be that you can see Jasmine anytime you want, huh?" Sora said to Aladdin as Corita suddenly fell silent.

"Well, I've got just the package for you! You'll not only meet the lady, you'll go in style...as PRINCE ALI! How d'ya like the sound of that, Al?" Genie asked.

"Me, a prince! Can you really do that?" Aladdin wondered, astounded.

"Of course! You just say the word!" Genie said merrily as he floated back into the lamp.  
Aladdin looked at the lamp for a moment with a look of joy on his face. "I guess the legends were true after all. Let's hurry to the palace!" Aladdin put the lamp safely away, and started to head off for the palace. Sora, Donald and Goofy followed behind immediately, but Corita hesitated for a moment.

"Jafar..."

* * *

"Hey! Look at that!" Donald squawked, pointing his feathers at a horrendous site. In the center of the street below them, a young woman was being attacked by several Heartless. Aladdin looked to where Donald was pointing at and let out a gasp.

"It's Jasmine! We'll never get there in time!" He cried in dismay, looking around the elevated stone wall where they stood.

"We have to save her!" Sora said, getting ready to jump down. He was promptly stopped, however, by Goofy and Corita.

"It's too high up, Sora! You'll kill yourself!" Goofy told him kindly.

"Then I've no choice." Aladdin said, almost sadly. He grabbed the magic lamp and rubbed it fiercly with his palm. Instantly, blue smoke began to seep out of it and Genie appeared in a few moments. "Genie, I wish for you to save Jasmine!" Aladdin cried hysterically.

"That I can do! CHARGE!" Genie roared as he flew down to the princess. As Genie made the Heartless around her vanish, the group rushed down the stairs to the street below.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin cried as he skidded to a halt before her. She was lying on the ground, face down.

"We were lucky. It looks like she's just passed out." Goofy told him.

"But now you've only got one wish left." Sora muttered slowly. The instant he finished speaking, more Heartless materialized around them.

"Not again!" Aladdin cried as the Heartless creeped closer. He turned his head towards Genie slowly. "Sorry, Genie. But you're the only one who can..."

"Wait! This is your last wish! Don't waste it. This time, let US handle the wish-granting!" Sora yelled, cutting Aladdin off.

"How corny." Donald whispered as he began to glow.

"I hate to admit it, but you're right." Corita whispered to him as they began to vanish. Those surrounding Sora vanished in flashes of light, and he grabbed their cards as he whisked the Keyblade into his hands in a flash of light.

* * *

"See? We didn't need Genie this time." Sora said to Aladdin as Aladdin flashed a grateful smile back at him.

"Thanks, Sora. So I'm down to my last wish..." Suddenly, the area surrounding them began flashing with a bright light. They covered their eyes with their arms to block out the light, but it still pierced through.

"What the...?"

"Wak! What's happening!"

"Donald! What did you do?"

"_ME?_ I didn't do anything..."

The light faded away after a few seconds, and the group rubbed their eyes to adjust back to the Agrabah lighting.

"Oh, no! The lamp! It's gone!" Aladdin cried after a few moments.

"What? No way!" Sora said as he turned towards Aladdin.

"Hmm, it seems my plans have gone amiss. I was certain you'd waste your last wish...what with poor Jasmine in distress and the Heartless to deal with."

Spinning around in their normal fashion, the group found themselves face-to-face with a tall man, draped in black and red. "But no matter. At last the lamp is mine to command!"

"Jafar." Corita growled.

Aladdin ran forward to face Jafar. "Why are you doing this, Jafar? I brought the lamp, just as you asked!"

Jafar gave a short, hoarse laugh. "Don't think you can fool me boy! You were going to use the lamp to win Jasmine! But we can't have that, now can we? You see, I am the one Jasmine will marry!"

"You!" Sora cried.

"If I marry Princess Jasmine, nothing can stop me from becoming king of Agrabah!" Jafar roared, holding the golden lamp up in his hand. Corita looked up at him in disgust. "Trust me, Jafar. NO ONE would want to marry you."

Jafar looked down at her, glaring. Corita glared back, unwavering strength in her eyes. He was the one, the one who first revealed to her what she really was...

"You're nothing more than a pawn in my game, street rat! Genie! My first wish! Deliver Jasmine to me!" Jafar said to him, turning his attention away from Corita.

Blue smoke once again began to emanate from the lamp, and Genie appeared after a few moments. Sadly, he drifted over and scooped Jasmine up off the ground, and floated back to Jafar.

"Genie! What are you doing?" Aladdin cried.

"Sorry, Al. My hands are tied on this one. I gotta obey whoever has his mitts on the lamp." Genie muttered sadly.

"Precisely. Farewell, Aladdin...you fool!" Jafar said cruelly. He then turned around and walked away from them, followed by a very depressed-looking Genie. After they were out of sight, Aladdin fell to his knees. "Great. Now I've lost Jasmine AND the lamp." Aladdin said, staring at the ground.

Sora turned away from the direction where Jafar had departed, and looked down at Aladdin. "Well, you can feel bad about it some other time. If you don't pull yourself together, you'll never see Jasmine again! You lost the lamp. So what? You can still save her on your own. Losing someone you care about is bad, but not as bad as never getting them back."

Corita, Donald and Goofy looked at Sora in awe. Sora looked up at them with a stunned look on his face.

"What?"

"Sora... You're right. I can't give up now! I'm going to save Jasmine!" Aladdin said, full of inspiration. He lept to his feet and turned to face the 4 others.

"But Jafar's got the lamp. We can't just walk up to him and expect to win... " Donald muttered sadly.

"Stop being so darn depressing." Corita told him, shoving him lightly with her elbow.

"Corita's right. I've got an idea. Listen up!" Aladdin said to them, and they leaned in to listen to his plan.

* * *

Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran forward to the palace gates. In front of them, facing the other direction, was Jafar and the unconscious Jasmine. As the three of them stopped 20 feet from the evil vizier, he turned around to face them.

"What's this? Has Aladdin given up on his precious Jasmine already?" Jafar asked, a slight bit of suprise in his tone. "Well, I'm not going to waste a wish on the likes of you three. I'll deal with you myself!"  
J  
afar started to move towards them, glaring down at the young Keyblade Master.

"Aladdin! Now!" Sora cried when Jafar was 15 feet away. Aladdin lept down lightly from a small stone wall not too far away. Jafar turned to face him as Aladdin began to run towards him.

"What? You! Genie, seize him!" Jafar roared, holding up the lamp. Genie once again appeared out of it, stopping Aladdin dead in his tracks.

"Al, forgive me!" Genie cried as he covered his eyes and swept Aladdin back towards the wall with a single sweep of his hand. Aladdin rocketed backwards and landed on the ground not far from where he had lept down.

"Oof...you fell for it, Jafar!" Aladdin said in triumph.

"What do you mean?" Jafar asked, lowering the hand in which he held the lamp.

"He means that you just blew your second wish! Only one left!" Sora said happily.

Jafar turned back to the three others. "So...that's what this was about..."

"Not quite!"

Corita came running from the opposite side of where Aladdin had come from, and reached out ahead of her. She snatched the lamp from Jafar's grip, and halted 5 feet in front of him.

"Haha...what now?" Corita asked, tossing the lamp lightly a few inches into the air and catching it again. Jafar looked down at her with fury in his eyes.

"You can't use that lamp if you're shrieking in pain, can you?" Jafar roared, holding up his staff. A bolt of darkness fell from the sky, and Corita nearly managed to avoid it. The right side of her body was struck with the bolt, the side with the hand that held the lamp. She fell to the ground, and Jafar walked up to her and took the lamp.

"I'll be taking that, thank you." Jafar hissed at her.

"Doesn't...matter..." Corita hissed back. "Go ahead and...use it to win Jasmine's heart. You'll still have us to deal with!" She told him, getting to her knees.

"Either way, you lost big time, Jafar." Aladdin told him. Aladdin was now standing with Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Oh, NOW I get it. Al, you are so clever!" "Well, well. The cunning of a rat. But, unfortunately, you can't see beyond the cheese. Your little ploy changes nothing! I can crush you once and for all AND make Jasmine my own! Genie! My last wish! Transform me into an all-powerful genie!" Corita had stood up and dashed back to the group, rubbing her right arm. Sora summoned his Keyblade, and the others prepared for battle as well. The city flashed white again, and Sora found himself in a large room with lava below, except for the few platforms surrounding the area.

"It's so hot! Jafar must be doing this..." Sora muttered, gripping the Keyblade tightly.

* * *

"Sora, that was an awesome battle!" Corita praised as Sora wiped his forehead. They had made it back to Aladdin's house after defeating Jafar.

"Yep! Jasmine's saved and we got the lamp back, too! Hey, Aladdin, don't you still have one wish left?" Sora asked.

"He sure does." Genie said merrily. "Time for me to make a prince outta this guy! 'Course, I'd like to be free. But like they always say, genies can't be choosers." He added sadly. "You're probably miffed about that whole puppet-of-Jafar thing, anyway. Go on, Al. Wish for what's really in your heart. Be a prince. Get the girl."

"Okay, here goes." Aladdin muttered slowly. After a few seconds, he said, "I wish for Genie's freedom!"

Genie, who had been preparing himself to turn Aladdin into an amazing prince, looked down at him in shock.  
"But Al...!"  
As he spoke, the golden cuffs around his wrists vanished. Genie looked down at them in awe.

"Now no one like Jafar can use you for evil again." Aladdin explained. "Genie, you're free!"

"Al, I'll never forget this. But what about Jasmine? What are you gonna do?" Genie asked.

"I was wrong, Genie. If I used your help to win Jasmine...I'd be no better than Jafar. Jasmine means the world to me. I want to show her the real me." Aladdin told him confidently.

"That's the spirit!" Sora told him.

Aladdin turned away from Genie for a moment and to the group. "Thanks, you guys. And good luck."  
"What for?" Sora asked.

"I was ready to give up back there, but then you said some things to keep me going. That's when it hit me. You must be looking for someone you care about, too." Aladdin explained. Sora nodded.

"Yeah..."

Aladdin turned his head back to Genie. "Listen, Genie..."

"Say no more, little pal! I know JUST what you're thinking. Here you go, Sora!" Genie said merrily, producing a card in a bright blue flash. He handed this card which bore his portrait to Sora.

"Whenever you need me, just call. That okay with you, Al?"

"Of course!"

"Are you sure?" Sora asked, looking down at the shining card.

"Anytime at all. Hey, without you guys, I might never have been able to ditch that lamp! And I think Aladdin will be fine on his own now."  
"Thanks a lot!" Sora said.

"Let's hope both our wishes come true, then. Take care, Sora!" Aladdin told them, and the group turned out of Aladdin's house onto the street, headed for the exit.

"And now, finally, after so many worlds and journeys," Corita said, pretending to talk into a microphone. "My hard-headed brother admits it! He still cares about Riku, even though he creamed him 47 times on the Destiny Islands, turned evil, kidnapped me, and then shut himself behind the Door to Darkness!"

Goofy and Donald were cracking up with laughter at this point, and Sora turned around to face them.

"Yeah...it's important that we find him. You still care about him to, don't you, Corita?" Sora asked.

Corita stopped talking immediately. Riku, the one who'd betrayed them, kidnapped her...

"Yeah...I guess I do."

Donald rolled his eyes and continued walking. "And you called Sora hard-headed..."

-Sora53-sigh- Yay for Corita's despisingness of Jafar! Hey, where is she?  
-finds Corita reading Joe's notebook-  
Joe: Corita, you got blasted! Are you okay! Wait...whatabout the biggest kiss of my life?  
Corita: Oh, right. I promised, didn't I-holds up a giant Hershey Kiss-  
Joe: Oh...FWEE! CHOCOLATE!  
Riku Fangirls: CORITA! YOU ADMITTED IT! YOU CARE ABOUT RIKU!  
Corita: Well, yeah. He's my friend. Now go away or I'll blast you into oblivion.  
Naminé: Heh, she really does have a split personality.  
Corita-is still reading notebook- GASP! SORA53! HOW COULD YOU!  
Sora53: Uh...I'm not going to-runs and hides from Corita's blasting into oblivionness- Oh yeah...and I don't own Hershey's...though I'd like to.  
Corita: SORA53 MUST PERISH!  
Riku Fangirls: Hey, chasing her is our job-starts chasing Corita-


	9. Journals, sand throwing and gulping

-Naminé-is making mozzarella sticks-  
Sora53: Um...Naminé? Whatcha doing?  
Naminé: . Making mozzarella sticks!  
Corita: Ooh, let me have some!  
Joe: No, me!  
Fans: ...There's no sauce.  
Everyone: NO SAUCE?  
-dies-  
Naminé: Umm...oops.-

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM. I own Corita...and the mozzarella sticks! They will rule!

As they left Agrabah and headed for the next floor, Goofy stared at the ground, looking sad. They moved up the stairs and stopped in the middle of the next white and blue hallway.

"What's wrong, Goofy?" Corita asked kindly. Goofy looked up at her slowly.

"It's that castle I mentioned earlier." He said, looking at her and speaking sadly. "I'm sure we didn't make it up. That was the castle where Sora used the Keyblade to save you and free Kairi's heart. Then he disappeared for a while, and you brought him back remember? I'll never forget how worried I was."

"Oh, yeah!" Sora cried. "When I turned into a Heartless and Corita carried me back to the entrance! Wait... That happened in...a castle?"

"You forgot? Well, I remember it perfectly." Donald said smugly.

"What was the castle called then, genius?" Corita asked him.

"Easy! It was..." Donald started, but he was stopped by the memories that no longer existed. "Hey, Jiminy. You wrote down everything that happened in your journal, right?"

"Every letter!" The cricket said merrily, poking his head out of Sora's pocket.  
"I finished off the first volume right before we got to this castle. Let's see if I can find the old book..." Jiminy went rummaging through Sora's pocket for a short time, and then came back out and lept onto Sora's head with a book much larger than he was. "Ah, here it is! Let's have a look..." Jiminy said merrily as he opened the book and looked through it. A strange expression crossed his face, and he looked at the group in horror.  
"Th-This isn't possible! All the entries have vanished! Every page, blank!" He cried, waving the journal around.

"What?" Corita cried, running over and scooping the cricket and his journal into her hands. She began looking through the pages and nodded her head.

"He's right."

"How could this happen? I take such good care of my journals! All that hard work, gone..." Jiminy moaned as he crawled sadly into Corita's pocket.

"This can't be...I mean..." Corita stuttered as she looked through the journal. "I was reading it right before we left for the last world! You too, Sora! Remember?"

Sora cocked his head and stared at Corita for a moment. "I...read Jiminy's journal?"  
"Yes!" Corita cried.

"What kind of castle is this..." Sora muttered as he turned away from Corita and looked towards the next set of stairs. Sora, Goofy, and Donald headed up the stairs to the next pearl-white hallway, but Corita lingered for a moment as she gently placed Jiminy's empty journal in one of her other pockets.

"Hollow Bastion." She whispered to herself as she walked to the stairs.

* * *

"Something funny's going on...how could everything Jiminy wrote vanish like that?" Corita wondered as they headed down the next hallway.

"Maybe it's not just stuff we write down. Goofy said we've been to some other castle. But I don't remember it at all. None of us really do. Maybe...Maybe we don't remember because those memories are gone."

"Yeah...Hollow Bastion...probably just a name I invented." Corita told them.

"Wait, gone? Don't be ridiculous!" Donald cried.

"Wait! Remember what that guy in the black hood said? 'In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find.' He was talking about memories!" Jiminy called out from Corita's pocket. He was poking his head out, but he was still upset about the loss of his precious journal.

"So if we keep going, we'll lose our memories... No wonder they call it Castle Oblivion." Sora sighed.

"So...the higher we go, the more we forget? What if we forget everything and can't get it back?" Donald asked nervously.

"I'd forget Riku and Kairi, too..." Sora muttered. The group was silent for a moment.

"Maybe we should turn back?" Donald suggested.

"Don't worry! We might forget where we've been or what we saw, but we'll never forget our friends or each other." Goofy said confidently.

"What makes you so sure?" Donald asked.

"First of all...Sora, when you turned into a Heartless, did you forget about us?" "Of course not! I'd never forget you!" Sora cried.

"Secondly, I've got this." Goofy said, reaching into his pocket. After digging for a few seconds, he pulled out his green thalassa shell, the one Corita had found in Atlantica and given him.

"Oh yeah!" Corita said, staring at the shell. "I've still got mine, too!" she said, pulling out her blue thalassa shell.

"I'll never lose mine." Sora said, holding out his red shell. "Thanks to this little shell, Corita brought me back to you guys."

The three of them looked down at Donald, who grumbled and held out his 'murky yellow one.'  
"I've still got mine..."

"Well, see, there ya go! No matter what happens, you won't forget your friends. With these shells, we'll always be together!" Goofy said happily, placing his shell back into his pocket.

"Yeah...you're right." Sora said. "Thanks, Goofy."

"I guess there's nothing to be scared of after all. So let's go!" Donald said, moving towards the door that would lead them to the next world from their memories.

"Hey, Donald..." Corita said slowly, moving towards him. "When I carried Sora to you guys when he was a Heartless, who was the one who called me crazy?"

"Yeah, and who was the one who thought she wanted to keep me as a pet?" Sora asked.

Donald whirled around to face them. "THAT's what you should be forgetting!"

Sora, Corita, and Goofy started to laugh at him, and Donald stalked off to wait in front of the door.

"C'mon, Mr. Keyblade Master!" Donald called out. "Come and open the door!"

After the 3 friends had composed themselves, they headed towards where Donald was waiting. Sora chose another card from his small group of World Cards, and held it before the door. Once again, the room flashed a bright white, and they felt themselves being pulled forward. As quickly as it began, they had landed once again in a world with...  
"...sand." Sora muttered as he brushed some of it out of his hair.

"More sand?" Corita moaned. "Don't even think about it, Donald!"

Donald sighed and lowered his arm, which had been about to once again throw sand at Corita.

"Stop playing in the sand and look at this!" Goofy said, pointing to something on a large stone wall. The 3 others ran to him, and looked at the poster.

"It's an announcement!" Donald said as he struggled to see over Sora's spiky hair.  
Jiminy had better luck than Donald, however, as he nimbly lept to the top of Goofy's head.

"Well, I'll be." Jiminy chirped. "It's for some sort of contest. They're calling it the 'Olympus Coliseum Survival Cup.' Contenders have to run an obstacle course, battling each other along the way. And listen to this: 'The great hero Hercules will also compete for the Cup.' It says here he's never been beaten."

"Sounds like fun. Why don't we enter, too?" Sora suggested.

"Sounds great!" Corita said, moving out of the way so Donald could finally read the announcement.

"I thought you'd say that. Whenever there's a contest, you two are rarin' to join up."

"You're going to compete even if we don't, right?" Donald asked as he turned away from the announcement.

"Uh huh."

"Guess we'd better tag along, then."

"Hold it, everyone. There's more... 'Only contenders who finish the preliminary course may enter the main competition.' It says the preliminary course is just ahead." Jiminy said, pointing to the left of where they'd landed in town.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sora said, and he turned towards where the preliminary course was located. He was quickly followed by Corita, Goofy, and Donald.

* * *

"DONALD!"

"What? I didn't do anything!"

"You threw sand at my head again! That's the 15th time!"

"You counted?"

"AHA! So you admit it!"

Corita began pelting Donald unmercifully with sand while he ran around, trying to find somewhere to hide from the Healer's sand missles. Eventually he took refuge behind Sora and Goofy's backs.

"You know, for having a pure heart, she's kinda scary sometimes..." Donald whimpered.

"Don't worry. We're almost through with the prelims." Sora said as they began walking once again.

"How can you tell?" Goofy asked.

"Because, there's the guy who marks the finish line of the preliminaries." Sora told him, pointing ahead. In a small plaza, a short satyr was turned the other way, looking like he was waiting for something.

"Well, what are we doing here? Let's go talk to him!" Corita said, moving ahead of the group.  
When they got about 5 feet from the satyr, he turned around and stared up at them, a look of shock on his face.

"Huh? Where did you come from? Don't tell me you guys finished the prelims!" He said in a shocked tone.

"We sure did. And now we want to go for the Cup!" Sora said excitedly.

"Well, you came to the right place. Not that you stand a chance against Herc." "Why not?" Corita asked.

"Two words. You-ain't-heroes."

"You're wrong!" Sora cried.

"Yeah, he said three words." Goofy said simply.

"Not that! I mean, how can we prove we're heroes unless you give us a chance?" Sora cried.

"He's right, Phil." said a voice to their left. Turning their heads, they saw Hercules walking towards the satyr. "They cleared the prelims. I think they deserve a shot."  
Hercules stopped next to Phil and looked down at the four 'not-heroes'.

"Hmm...you got a point there, Herc. But still..."

"Of course, we could always cancel the games." Hercules said as he turned his head to look down at Phil, a twinkle in his eye.

"Cancel them? Why?" Corita asked.

Hercules turned his attention back to the group in front of him.  
"Old Phil's prelim course was so hard, no one else could finish it." He explained calmly.

"Is that right? Then it's settled! Let us compete, and you won't have to cancel the games! How about it, Phil?" Sora said craftily.

Phil sighed. "Okay, you got me over a barrel, so fine. Here's how it works, kid-"

"It's Sora-not 'kid'."

"All right, all right. Sora, since your team and Hercules are the only contenders —"

"They're not."  
From behind, a mysteriously calm voice rang out. A man, with spiky blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, dressed with a deep purple cape, approached them.

"The games have a new challenger. Name's Cloud." He stopped next to Sora and Corita, and he glared down at them with his glowing blue eyes. Sora and Corita gulped.

"The more the merrier! Now the games will really be something to see!" Phil cheered. "Now, I just need to take you through the rules.  
"Rule 1! First one through the obstacle course wins!  
Rule 2! In the event of a tie, a battle will determine the winner!  
Rule 3! You can interfere with your opponents on the course!  
And finally...Rule 4! All challengers have to give it everything they got! Now, line up!"

Hercules stood next to Sora, and Sora stood next to Cloud. Corita, Donald, and Goofy lined up behind Sora. "All right, enough with the spiel. On your marks... Get set... GO!" Phil cried, leaping up and down like crazy. Like a bullet, those who'd been lined up shot away from the satyr with blinding speed.

* * *

"C...c...can we take a break?" Corita heaved, breathing in and out fast.

"We've...gotta win!" Sora told her, also breathing hard.

"Sora, we've been running for 7 minutes straight!"

"She's right, Sora. Let's just walk for a little while." Goofy said.

"Aw, phooey. I'm not tired." Donald bragged.

"Wanna keep running?" Corita asked. Donald went silent.

"Well, we need to keep going. Hercules and Cloud are still ahead of us." Sora said.

"Alright, let's keep at it." Goofy said cheerfully. The group continued walking for about 2 minutes, until they turned a corner and saw Cloud standing there. He looked down at the twins for a moment. Sora and Corita gulped again.

"Gawrsh, that was nice of him to wait for us to catch up!" Goofy whispered to Donald cheerfully.

"He's not waiting! Remember Rule 3? 'You can interfere with your opponents on the course'!" Donald hissed.

"He's looking to narrow the field!" Sora cried, readying to fight.

Cloud merely blinked and turned his head away from the group. "You can put that away. I'm not looking for a fight with you, so keep walking." He muttered calmly.

"See? He was waitin' for us to catch up." Goofy said.

"Well, we've caught up. Let's take him up on his offer and keep going!" Donald said.

"I don't see a downside..." Sora muttered slowly. The group headed forward, leaving Cloud behind. Sora, however, turned around 10 feet from him.

"Listen, are you sure?" Sora asked.

"I'm not here for the Cup. Just Hercules." Cloud explained softly. "Today he loses more than the competition."

The group stared at the back of Cloud's head in stunned silence for a moment.  
"You don't mean... But why! What did he do to you?" Sora cried.

"This is business. Stay out of it. Go win your Cup."

"He sounds serious..." Donald whispered. Corita had heard enough. She reached down, grabbed as big a handful of sand as she could manage, and flung it with all her strength at the back of Cloud's head. Cloud's hand instinctivly reached for where it had hit, and he spun around dangerously slowly.

"Who...threw that?" He growled.

"That would be me." Corita chirped. Next to her, her brother was gripping the Keyblade tightly. Cloud's eyes moved from Corita to Sora, who once again gulped quietly as he stared into Cloud's eyes.

"Do you realize what you're doing?" He asked softly.

"Rule 3! You can interfere with your opponents. Right? You're not the only one who wants to fight Hercules." Sora said boldly.

"Big mistake."

-Sora53: Oohhh! I made Cloud look so evil!  
Naminé: I thought you were dead?  
Joe: YAY! Corita threw sand at Cloud's gravity-defying hair!  
Sora: Hey, I have gravity-defying hair too!  
Corita: Well, yeah...my hair isn't gravity-defying cuz I'm special!  
Sora53: You're hair looks like mine when I was 6.  
Corita: SO IT'S WILTY GRAVITY-DEFYING! BE QUIET!  
Sora Fangirls: Aw, siblings.  
Riku Fangirls-are dead from lack of Riku-  
Sora53: Don't worry...he comes back...or does he?  
Riku Fangirls: YOU WILL PERISH!  
Sora53: AH-


	10. Sora's Promise

-Sora53: Heylo!  
Fans: Save me, please.  
Naminé: Yay! I'm in this chappie! ...sorta!  
Sora53: Ish.  
Corita: Not really.  
Sora: Naminé!  
Naminé: Oh, dear, not again...- 

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Corita. Hahaha-cough-

"Wahaha! I threw sand at Cloud's head!" Corita said merrily as she skipped along the path in the Coliseum.

"Is that all it takes for you to be full of yourself?" Donald asked.

"Aw, shut it, Duck Boy. Hey, Sora! That was an awesome battle! Looks like you're really getting a hang of the cards." Corita complimented.

"Thanks, Corita." Sora said, blushing. "Anyway, we need to keep moving. He's probably heading for the finish line."

"Maybe if you hadn't taken your eyes off of him after you beat him..." Donald muttered.

"Hey! It's not my fault! You guys reappeared...ON TOP OF ME!"  
The group broke out laughing, and Sora started playfully throwing some sand at them.

"ACK! NO MORE SAND!" Corita moaned, brushing it out of her hair. "Besides, we need to hurry!"  
Agreeing with Corita, the group hurried onwards, to the place where Cloud and Hercules battled.

* * *

"Look!" Goofy cried. He was pointing to an open area in the coliseum, where Hercules stood over Cloud. Cloud was on one knee, obviously in pain.

"You lost! Give it up, Cloud!" Hercules roared.

"We're not done yet..." Cloud muttered softly, standing up.

"I can't guarantee your safety if we keep going like this!" Hercules cried.

"Better worry about yourself. Looks to me like you're slowing down a bit." Cloud said, eyes closed.  
Hercules took a step away from Cloud, and he turned his head as he heard Sora approaching.

"Don't worry! I'll back you up!" Sora called to him, summoning the Keyblade into his clutches.

"Sora?"

"Get all the backup you want. I'm going to finish you and get back my memories!" Cloud said loudly, causing Sora to drop the Keyblade on Corita's foot.

"SORA!"

"Your memories?" Sora asked.

"Now, now, Cloud, we don't want to spill the beans." said a cool voice. Walking forward was a tall man, robed in black. He had blue skin and blue flaming hair. He reached the 6 people and stood next to Cloud. He then turned his head to Hercules.

"Hades! You!" Hercules cried.

"Looks like you oversold yourself, Cloud." Hades said lazily. "All you did was wear him down. This doesn't look good for your performance rating... Let me put it this way: You, my spiky-haired friend, are fired."

"But...my memories! We had a deal!" Cloud cried in a voice uncharacteristic to him. Hades looked down at him in amusement.

"Did you really think you could get back your lost memories just like that? Get a grip!"

"Why, you..."

"I said, you're through! This time I'll take care of Irk-ules myself!" Hades roared. He surrounded himself with a barrier of energy, and shot it outwards towards those around him. Everyone was blasted away except for Hercules, who was thrown to his knees.

"HEY!" Sora cried as he, Corita, Goofy, and Donald were thrown against a wall.

"Rule 5! It's never too late to enter the games." Hades said matter-of-factly.

"Hades, you were behind this from the start!" Hercules cried. Hades moved slowly towards him.

"Cloud may have failed to take you out, but he did break you down. Time for Plan B. Pack your pita, Herc, 'cause you've just won a free trip to the Underworld — paid by me!"

"Hold it, hothead!" Sora yelled, getting up from the group against the wall. He began to run forward, but he was stopped by Corita's voice.

"SORA! Aren't you forgetting something?"  
Sora turned around and saw that his sister was holding up the Keyblade, the silver and gold gleaming in the sun.

"Oh yeah..." Sora muttered. With barely any effort, the Keyblade master summoned his weapon, and it vanished from Corita's hands and reappeared in his.

"Thanks!" He said with a smile, and turned to face Hades.  
"Humph...you could've walked 3 feet and grabbed it...show off." Corita muttered as she stood up along with Donald and Goofy. The 3 of them followed Sora's path to Hades, and stopped behind him.

"Sora, no!" Hercules cried.

"Come on, Herc-how can we go one-on-one if you're in the Underworld?" Sora asked.  
Hades thought for a moment. "Good point, kid. I guess you'll just have to go with him!"

* * *

"What! The games are cancelled? How come?" Sora cried.

"Three words! Everyone's pooped!" Phil explained.

Goofy looked down at Phil. "Wait a minute, that was only two..."

"You gotta be kidding! What about my match with Hercules?" Sora moaned.

Hercules looked at Sora with his kind eyes. "I'm sorry, Sora. But you wouldn't want me to compete in this condition. Let's have a match when I'm fit again. Can you wait?"

"Okay. I'll hold you to that." Sora said after a moment.

"Then it's settled!" Hercules said merrily.

"Sora! He's coming around!" Corita called out. She and Jiminy were crouched near Cloud, making sure he was okay. Cloud's eyes opened, and he looked up into Corita's. He then turned over and got to his knees.

"You okay?" Sora asked as he walked over. Cloud merely stood up and turned away from him.

"Yeah. Sorry I messed up your games." He said calmly, and began to walk away.

"Hey! Hope you get your memories back!" Sora called, causing Cloud to stop dead in his tracks. "Forget about what Hades said. Sometimes the tiniest thing can make you remember stuff you forgot years ago. If it's an important memory, there's no way it could ever be gone forever. That's what I think, anyway." Sora stated, causing his friends to once again look at him in awe.

Cloud stood in silence for a moment. Then, he turned around to face Sora. He looked down at the Keyblade Master one last time, and tossed him a card.

"That's for you. For helping me out." Cloud said, and he turned around once again.

"Sure you don't want to just come with us instead?"

"Sorry. Not interested." Cloud said cooly. He walked past Corita and Jiminy (who was perched on her head) and didn't look back.

* * *

"FINALLY! NO MORE SAND!" Corita said, dancing in the middle of the bright hallway. Her friends could only watch with odd expressions on their faces. Sensing that they were watching them, she stopped and looked at them. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Corita asked.

"Well, we know that Corita here is _not_ okay..." Donald said slowly, "But I sure hope the king is okay..."

"Why bring that up all of a sudden?" Sora asked.

"I just wanted to make sure I haven't forgotten about him." Donald explained.

"And?"

"I still remember perfectly! Goofy and I are on a quest to find him."

"Yep! The king helped save the world by staying on the other side of the door to darkness." Goofy said confidently.

"If Goofy still remembers, then I won't forget anytime soon." Donald muttered.

"And me and Corita...are looking for Riku. He was with the king when the door closed." Sora said to himself.

"That was easy. I guess we really can't forget the most important memories." Corita said.

"I hope not..." Donald muttered, his voice echoing through the hallway.

* * *

"Wow, Axel, you seem pretty intrigued by this Sora kid." A tall, blonde-haired woman said, her voice cutting though the still air like poisoned honey. She, wearing a robe not unlike Axel's, was standing in a medium-sized room with an orb in the center on a small platform. Axel was standing to her left, staring into the orb, distracted.

"And you're not?" Axel asked as he looked away from the orb.

"I haven't made up my mind...but I'd like to know what's on yours." She said lazily. Axel turned towards the woman.

"He became a Heartless, Larxene-and you know what happens to people who do."

"People who lose their hearts also lose their minds, their feelings...They're consumed by the darkness." Larxene said. Axel nodded.

"Right. But that didn't happen to Sora. He held on to his feelings, even as a Heartless. Only one other man ever managed to do that."

"So it's the strength of his heart that intrigues you...the heart chosen by the Keyblade." Larxene thought aloud.

"What makes his heart shine like that? What sleeps in his most secret depths?" Axel wondered.

"The heart is a mysterious thing, Axel."

"Maybe so. But unlocking its secrets is the whole reason we, the Organization, exist."

* * *

"So except for our friends, we're forgetting everything bit by bit..." Donald muttered as they came to the next hallway.

"Hmm... I wonder what we just forgot." Goofy said. The four of them looked down and thought for a few moments.

"I can't think of anything. Guess I musta forgot it..." Goofy mumbled.

"Thanks for that, Goofy." Donald sighed.

"But whatever it was, it must not have been that important, a-hyuck!"

"Right, or else you wouldn't have forgot it. See, look at this." Sora said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, star-shaped blue charm.

"Oh, that's Kairi's charm!" Corita said, and Sora smiled, staring down at it fondly.

"Yep. It's special to her, so I promised I'd return it." Sora said, turning away from his 3 friends. "I'll never forget that promise. That's why I'll never forget Kairi. I wonder what she's doing now..." He muttered as he placed the charm back in his pocket. Sora closed his eyes. He could almost see her there, with her dark red hair and beautiful smile.  
Or...did she have blonde hair?

"What-" Sora cried as he opened his eyes and fell back towards the group. "Oh... Who...who was that?"

"Hello? You still with us?" Donald asked. Corita walked up to Sora.

"Sora? You okay?"

"Yeah...it's nothing. Never mind."

"Well, let's keep going." Goofy said merrily.

-Naminé: Happy Chinese New Year!  
Sora53: You're not Chinese.  
Naminé: So what? I SHALL MAKE YOU BELIEVE I AM!  
Corita: Aw, Sora's seeing things!  
Sora: Ish.  
Riku Fangirls: WE WANT RIKU! WE WANT RIKU!  
Sora53: STOP THE CHANTING! You'll be very happy with the outcome of the story, I promise.  
Corita: Meh. DON'T TRUST HER!  
Naminé: ROOSTER'S RULE!  
Corita: Meh...Larxene.-


	11. Lone Princess

-Sora53: Nice long chapter! I figured we should get through Wonderland as painlessly as possible.  
Fans: So...much...pain...  
Naminé: How long until it starts to get really good?  
Sora53: Hmmm...around the battle with Larxene, things start to really get interesting.  
Corita: Oh dear.  
Joe: Corita, I'm sorry Sora53 enjoys this.  
Corita: It's okay...there's always KH2 to redeem myself in.  
Naminé:Joe's so sensitive...- 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM. I only own Corita.

"Sora! Wait!" Corita cried as Sora shuffled through his small pile of World Cards. Sora looked up at her in surprise.

"What is it?"

"Do you think I can pick this one?" Corita asked.

"What? Why?" Sora asked.

"I dunno...it just looks like fun, holding up the cards, choosing them..."

"Uh...whatever you say."

"YAY!" Corita squealed, grabbing the cards that Sora had handed her.

"Don't pick a world with sand!" Goofy advised. Corita nodded, and chose a single card out of the deck. "Okay, now all I have to do is hold it up in front of that door?" Sora nodded. Corita ran up the steps in glee, and stopped in front of the door.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" The three behind her said in unison. She held the card above her head, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, the door flew open, and she felt herself being pulled forward at a great speed...the light had surrounded her.  
In a matter of seconds, Corita had landed on the hard ground rather ungracefully.

"Oww..." she muttered as she stood up. Brushing herself off, she turned to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy trying to get up as well.

"OW! Donald, you stepped on my foot!"

"Sorry! Sheesh, not even Corita complains about that now!"

"Well, well. How does it feel to be stuck in a pile with Donald and Goofy, Mr. Keyblade Master?" Corita asked sweetly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Sora muttered as he stood up.

"Hey, somebody's comin'." Goofy said after he'd stood next to Sora.  
A small white rabbit came running from a small patch of trees, panting and gasping. This rabbit, however, wore clothes, and held a large pocket watch, which he was staring at with horror in his eyes.

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm dreadfully, awfully late!" He cried. "The queen will roast me for dinner! If I'm late for the trial, it'll be off with MY head next!"

"What do you mean, 'off with your head'?" Sora yelled above the rabbit's ramblings.

"Oh my fur and whiskers! I'll never make it!" The rabbit bellowed, ignoring Sora. With that, he took a left away from the group and dashed off as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Off with his HEAD?" Corita asked as Sora turned back to the group.

"For such a peaceful-looking place, it sounds pretty dangerous!" Goofy said.

"Yeah...we should probably follow him." Sora suggested, and the group nodded.

* * *

"What a weird place." Donald commented as they treaded through the forest. 

"It is a bit...unique." Sora said, looking at a mushroom the size of a small boulder.

"Well, we're almost through the forest, so don't worry about it." Goofy said as he steered himself around a flower that was taller than himself.

"Shhh..." Sora said, stopping suddenly. He held a hand to his ear, listening hard. "What's up all of the sudden?" Corita asked.

"There are voices up ahead. Can't you hear them?" Sora whispered.

"No...I don't hear anything."

"You can't hear that? You really do have bad hearing..." Donald muttered as he began to run towards the voices.

"I DO NOT HAVE...well, okay, maybe I do. BUT THAT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Corita roared. Sighing, she started running to catch up with the group.

* * *

"Gawrsh, looks like some kind of get-together. What's the occasion?" Goofy wondered. 

The group had stumbled upon a large clearing, where several platforms stood. On one of them stood a young girl with blond hair, wearing a light blue dress. Facing this platform was the largest one, where a disgruntled looking woman sat. With her large red face, she looked as if she would start screaming any second. Next to this platform was the smallest one, where the White Rabbit stood, panting. Scattered among the platforms were various card soldiers. Corita looked up at the young girl, and a strange mix of emotions crossed her face.

"Hey, this must be that trial the White Rabbit was talking about!" Donald realized.

"Alice! Do you understand the charges brought against you by the Queen of Hearts?" The White Rabbit asked in a squeaky voice.

"Of course not! I've done nothing wrong!" The young girl, Alice, said with a touch of anger in her voice.

"Feigning ignorance, dear?" Asked the large woman, obviously the Queen of Hearts. "You are charged with aiding the Heartless who threaten this kingdom!"

"Fiddlesticks! Where's the evidence?" Alice cried.

"The evidence is... I forgot! That's the evidence! Because you, Alice, are the one who stole my memory!" The Queen roared, causing Sora, Corita, Goofy and Donald to cover their ears.

"We can't rid the kingdom of Heartless until we get Her Majesty's memory back. This is a serious crime!" The White Rabbit mentioned meekly as he eyed the Queen.

"This is so unfair! So what if you're a queen! Don't blame me just because you can't remember things!"

"Such insolence! You're talking to the Queen of Hearts! And I'd have let you go, had you apologized straightaway! What a brazen thief!"

Meanwhile, Sora's hands were clenched in fists of anger. Reacting much as Corita had when she'd had enough of the black robed man's riddles, he angrily said, "Who's the brazen one?"  
In is fury of justice, Sora ran forward, causing everyone in the courtyard to stare at him.

"The court has reached a verdict! The sentence is death!" The Queen roared as Sora ran towards her, followed by a nervous-looking Corita, Goofy, and Donald.

"Hold it! This trial is a farce! You should investigate before you arrest innocent people!" Sora shouted angrily.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you saying Alice didn't steal my memory? I suppose you know who the real culprit is, then!" The Queen said bitterly, staring down at him with her beady eyes.

"Huh? I, er..." Sora stuttered, taking a step back.

"Speak! Or Alice's sentence will be carried out! Now, out with it! Who's the thief?" The Queen asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Um...uh..." Sora continued for a moment. Then, he looked down and thought for a few seconds. "I'm the thief!" He called out boldly.

"Say that again?" The Queen rumbled as Goofy and Donald stepped back, astonished.

"Gawrsh, really?" Goofy asked.

"Of course he isn't." Corita sighed.

"What else am I supposed to say?" Sora asked. Behind him, the Queen's blood pressure had reached its max.

"Cards! Seize them all!" She roared at the top of her voice. The card soldiers quickly attempted to assemble themselves, but did a pretty pathetic job. Sora whisked out the Keyblade, and his friends began to transform into cards once again.

* * *

"Whew..." Panted Sora after the card soldiers were all lying in a humpled mess on the ground. 

"Hey! Where's Alice?" Corita asked after she'd re-appeared, turning away from the cards and looking towards the forest.

"Looks like she escaped." Goofy said as the rest of the group followed suit.

"Perhaps she did. But YOU won't!" Roared the Queen of Hearts from behind them. Sora turned and saw that the cards had quickly reassembled themselves, and were staring at the group with menacing eyes.

"I think we've been trumped!" Donald cried as the cards started to march towards them.

"Run!" Sora cried, and the others took his advice. They sped away from the courtyard as fast as they could. All the while, the cards sped behind them in hot pursuit.

* * *

"I think we lost 'em." Sora said as he sat on a mushroom. 

"That's good to hear." Corita sighed. "But now we're in the middle of a forest surrounded by giant mushrooms, flowers and trees with a whole deck of cards chasing us. In the meantime, we're searching for Alice. We have no idea where we are. How do you plan on solving this problem?" Corita cried.

"Well, you always think logically." Sora commented. "But we don't have to do anymore searching for Alice. She's right over there." Sora pointed to a small grove of plants, where the familiar blond-haired girl was emerging from. She managed to untangle herself from the plants and enter the small clearing where Sora, Corita, Donald and Goofy were, and she looked at them with mixed emotions on her face.

"Hey!" Sora called as he lept up from the mushroom and ran over to Alice. "Things got a little crazy back there, but at least you're okay."

Alice looked up at Sora with eyes full of concern. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but...was that true, what you said? Are you the thief?" She asked nervously.

"What? Of course not! Why would I steal the queen's memory?" Sora cried.

"Yep, Sora only said that 'cause he wanted to save-" Goofy started to say, but he was cut off.  
"-to show off!" Corita said, and Donald nodded.

"Is that right?" Alice asked as Sora turned and glared at Corita, Donald, and Goofy, who were cracking up. "Well, you saved me all the same. Thank you, Sora." She said softly.

Suddenly, Sora began squinting behind where his sister and friends were laughing. Something was on the mushroom where he'd been sitting.

"Oh, look! It's the Cheshire Cat!" Alice said merrily, and those who'd been laughing stopped almost instantly and turned to face the mushroom.

"Feeling better after that mad dash? You're not out of the woods yet!" Said the purple and pink-striped cat. He vanished, and reappeared on a tree branch above the group.

"The queen's a stickler for justice! She won't forget you till she remembers! She won't stop hounding you till you get her memory back! Did she forget because she remembers? Does she remember that she forgot? Doesn't matter, I suppose." The cat said. Donald (who absolutely hated riddles) began to open his beak to yell something at the cat, but Corita snapped it shut.

"I don't know...I think we oughta just stay away from her." Sora said calmly.

"That's all well and good for us, Sora, but what about Alice? If the queen catches her again, it's off with...well, you know." Jiminy said as he lept onto Goofy's head.

"Then I guess we'd better do something about the queen." Sora muttered.

"You should do something. But you don't have to do anything." The cat said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

The cat vanished once again, and appeared again on the mushroom. He then proceeded to dance on his head.  
"If you can't remember something, it's like it never happened." The Cheshire Cat said as he danced. "Likewise, if something never happened, you can't remember it. Try too hard to remember, and your memory might lie to you."

"Lie?"

With a final grin, the cat vanished, but his voice remained. "That's all I'll say. The rest is for you to figure out."  
After the cat had vanished, Corita let go of Donald's beak, which instantly began spewing out shouts of anger.

"...and your riddles are bad, anyway! What person in their right mind would..."  
Corita shut his beak again, and the shouting stopped. Curious, she let it open once again.  
"...actually listen to your 'advice'! Why, if I could still cast magic I'd..."

"DONALD!" Sora shouted. "I'm trying to think here!"

"Oh...sorry."

* * *

After making their way through the forest (led by Alice,) the group wound up in a large room with a table and chair in the center, a stove off to the left, and a large door across from them.

"Gawrsh, what's with the sudden change of scenery?" Goofy asked. It was true; they'd been walking in a lush forest seconds ago.

"Well, this is Wonderland, after all..." Alice muttered.

"We should look around." Corita suggested.  
"C'mon, Alice!" She said, running forward.  
"Okay." Alice said merrily, and the two girls ran off to explore the room.

"Corita's acting funny, you know?" Goofy said.

"I suppose it's only natural." Sora thought.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, think about it. Even if that Alice is only an illusion..." Sora said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "She's still a Princess of Heart, just like Corita."

"Yeah, that's right." Donald realized, watching them look up at a huge flower in a pot.

"What power do they possess, I wonder..." Sora mumbled.

"Whatever power they have, Corita sure doesn't seem too happy when those robed guys call her 'Princess'." Donald said.

"That's true. I wonder what's going on in Corita's mind." Goofy said.

"Heh, I've lived with her for 14 years. Never have I been able to figure out what's going on in her mind." Sora laughed.

Meanwhile, Corita and Alice were looking around the room. What they were looking for, they weren't sure. The Cheshire Cat's riddles seemed to have gotten harder.

"Alice, doesn't it bother you?" Corita asked. Alice looked up at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" She asked, stunned.  
_  
"How do you ask an illusion if they remember something that happened to the real person?"_ Corita wondered.

"Corita?"

"Oh, yeah...sorry. Being a Princess of Heart...doesn't it sometimes seem like a pain?" Corita asked. Alice merely looked up at her like she was crazy.

"Princess of Heart? I'm sorry, I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh..." Corita said sadly, hurt. "That's okay, then. We should get back to the group.

"Yes. Sorry I couldn't be of help." Alice said, and she started off towards Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Corita stayed behind, however.  
_  
"I guess I really am alone now..."_

Back with Sora, Donald and Goofy, Sora was talking about their early days on the island.

"...and we used to play together all the time." Sora said happily. "Me, Corita, Riku, and Kairi...we'd swim in the ocean, build sand castles...Riku and I used to throw coconuts at each other a lot, too. Corita would get so angry when one hit her. She used to leave a lot when that happened...she'd go to her favorite place at the top of the island. Riku and I weren't allowed there, but Kairi was when she came to the island. They would play there, and Riku and I would play near the Paupu tree. Until we got older, that is. Then we would talk for hours on the Paupu tree, dreaming of worlds far away...Kairi used to try to tell us about her homeland, but she didn't remember much."

"Sounds like you have a lot of great memories of your home." Goofy said kindly.

"Yeah...I can't wait to get back there with Corita and Riku."

"Sora!" Alice cried as she ran towards them. "The Queen of Hearts is here"!

"Great..." Sora sighed. "How'd she find us?"

"I dunno, but we need to hurry!" Alice said, and she ran back towards the door on the opposite side of the room, where the Queen and the card soldiers stood.

"Thought you'd seen the last of me, did you?" The Queen of Hearts roared, shaking the table and chair in the center of the room.

"Uh oh." Sora said when he and the group had reached them.

"Game's up scoundrels! For stealing my memory, I sentence you to...I sentence you to...I...sentence...Oh? What's going on? Where am I?" The Queen cried suddenly, looking around wildly.

"Huh?"

"What in the world am I doing? Confound it, I can't remember!"

"What's wrong with her?" Sora wondered.

"Maybe somebody swiped her memory again?" Goofy suggested.

"Sora!" Called out Corita's voice. She was running towards the group as fast as she could.  
"Sora, watch out! Something's coming!" She said, skidding to a halt before the group and turning away from them, facing the direction in which she'd come from. From that direction, a giant shadow was forming, and something was falling from the ceiling.

A Heartless, taller than any of the flowers they'd seen in the forest had appeared. It's long, gangly arms held sticks which it was juggling around. It was looking down at the group, and it didn't look happy. The Queen fell backwards, a terrified look on her face, and the cards cowered behind her massive form.

"So this is what stole the queen's memory!" Sora said as he stared up at it.

* * *

You there! All of you! What is the meaning of this? Where did that Heartless come from?" The Queen roared after she'd recovered from the shock. Sora had defeated the Trickmaster in no time at all, and the Queen was back to her normal shouting self.

"How would WE know?" Sora cried.

"So, you refuse to answer? You're hiding something! They're plotting against me! Seize them immediately!" The Queen yelled, and the cards behind her instantly started to move towards them.

"Please, Your Majesty, wait! It was you who commanded us to destroy the Heartless." Corita called out, causing Sora, Donald and Goofy to look at her in surprise.

"Huh?" Sora asked.

"That's right! Your Majesty, in her prudence, didn't completely trust us at first. And so, at Your Majesty's command, we fought the Heartless to prove ourselves. Isn't that right, Sora?" Alice asked, continuing what Corita had said.

"We did? I mean, we did! Your, uh, Majesty." Sora added.

"I...told you...to do that?" The Queen asked softly. The cards, which had stopped going after Sora's group, looked back at her with worried faces.

"But Your Majesty, don't you remember?" Corita asked.

"Don't be ridiculous! I never forget anything!" The Queen cried. "Of course I gave the command. You all did splendidly." She complimented, and then she and her card soldiers turned back through the door.

"Well, that was close." Alice sighed.

"Way to improvise! I never would've thought of that." Sora muttered.

"But the Cheshire Cat said as much. 'Try too hard to remember and your memory might lie to you.' The queen would never admit she forgot. So instead, she remembered something...that didn't happen! She ended up fooling herself." Alice explained happily.

"Sora wouldn't have thought of that in a million years, Alice. He's awful at riddles." Corita laughed.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Sora cried.

"You know if it weren't for me, you'd still be back at the End of the World, trying to figure out that riddle about the fire." Corita taunted.

"What is it, Sora?" Alice asked. Sora looked like he was concentrating hard.

"Hmm...it's nothing. Well, I guess you'll be safe now."

"And that queen won't give us any more trouble! After all, we got rid of the Heartless, just like she commanded!" Goofy said joyfully.

"Don't tell me you've been fooled, too!" Donald cried, causing the whole group to erupt with laughter.

-Sora53: Yay for bits of originalness!  
Fans-sigh-  
Corita: Great. I'm all alone.  
Sora53: Don't worry. You won't be soon...MUAHAHA!  
Naminé: O.o I'm scared for you.  
Joe: So am I.  
Naminé: Joe's so caring...-


	12. Another girl?

-Sora53: If you haven't played CoM, the beginning of this chappie may give you a mild heart attack.  
Corita: Sora53 couldn't breath after she played through that little part in the game.  
Sora53: Yeah, yeah, yeah...  
Riku Fangirls: MORE RIKU!  
-pelts Sora53 with grape lollipops-  
Sora53: AHH!  
Corita: Well, you deserve it with what you're going to do with me...  
Joe: I'm sorry, Corita...-

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts! OR CoM! Aren't I poor? I own Corita, though...

"I remember!" Sora cried suddenly, causing Corita and Goofy to whirl around at an amazing speed, which knocked Donald over.

"Remember what, Sora?" Corita asked kindly as Goofy helped Donald up.

"There was another girl." He said simply. Goofy looked around the hallway.

"What? Where?"

"No, no, I mean on the islands where Corita and I used to live. Besides Kairi, Riku, and Corita, there was one otherperson I was friends with. The five of us used to play together all the time." Sora told them.

"Well, I'll be! I think that's the first time you've ever mentioned her." Jiminy chirped.

"Yeah...I forgot all about her. I think she went away when we were still little. Don't you remember her?" Sora asked Corita. Corita was staring at him with a strange look on her face.

"You're-" Corita started to say, but she stopped. She remained silent for a moment, obviously thinking hard. Then, she spoke again. "You're right, Sora. I remember something like that too." She said nervously.

"That's strange. Why are you remembering all that now?" Donald wondered.

"I'm not sure. But it's been coming back to me in places as we go through the castle." Sora explained.

"So what's her name?" Goofy asked cheerfully.  
Sora looked at the ground once again. "I don't remember." He said sadly. "I feel kinda dumb. Here we are, saying we won't forget our friends...and I can't even remember her name."

"Sora..." Corita whispered softly.

"Well, there's no rush! Let's keep going. You're bound to remember it, just like the rest!" Goofy cheered.

"I guess so." Sora said in a strange voice. He followed Goofy and Donald, who had already started up the stairs to the next door. Corita walked next to him, thinking as hard as he was.  
_  
"No, Sora."_ She thought to herself. _"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about."  
_

* * *

"What a weird place! Everything's kinda springy and soft." Sora commented as he stood in the new world. 

"Nice and warm, too. I'm startin' to feel like a nap." Goofy sighed as he sprung up and down lightly on the soft floor. The walls and floors were all squishy, with splotches of color scattered around them.

"Shouldn't you be a little more worried?" Called out a faint voice.

"Who's there?" Donald cried. Jiminy, hearing the voice, lept excitedly out of Corita's pocket.

"Don't you get it? You're inside the belly of Monstro the Whale." The voice called, growing louder.

"Why, I know that voice...Pinocchio?" Jiminy called out. "Pinoke, it's you! Come on out!"

"Is that you, Jiminy? Gosh, I never though I'd meet you here." Pinocchio said as he emerged from the shadows. He ambled over to the cricket and leaned down to his level.

"You can't get away from me, son. I'm your conscience. Your conscience should guide whatever you do. Remember?" Jiminy asked kindly.

"Sure, Jiminy. I've been a good boy while you were gone. I didn't tell a single lie." Pinocchio told his conscience proudly. "Uh-oh!"

After he'd finished speaking, his nose grew several inches. Jiminy looked up at it and sighed.  
"Well, for Pete's sake!"

"Oops! But...how did YOU end up inside Monstro, anyway?" Pinocchio inquired. The group shot glances at each other.

"We, uh, sort of used a special way..." Sora said slowly.

"It's so special, we don't know how we did it!" Goofy chucked.

"That's too bad... I was hoping you could help me and Father get out of here..."

"Well, I'll be! Geppetto's here, too?" Jiminy asked.

"Sure. Want to see him? Follow me!" Pinocchio said, turning around and heading back into Monstro's depths.

Jiminy hopped onto Corita's head. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

"Urgh!" Corita cried as she stepped into a puddle of water on the squishy floor. 

"What's wrong?" Sora asked as he lept lightly over the puddle.

"Do you ENJOY stepping into puddles inside of a whale?" Corita roared.

"Well..."

"Look, there's something ahead." Goofy interrupted. Turning their attention away from the puddles on the ground, the group found themselves inside of a large cavern, dimly lit. To their left, a large abandoned ship sat in a large pool of water.

"Geppetto!" Jiminy called out to an elderly man who was standing on the ship, staring outward into the whale's depths.

Startled, the man turned to face them. He had a kindly look to him, and his eyes turned from the entire group to the tiny cricket hopping up and down on Corita's head.

"Bless my soul, it's Jiminy Cricket. How in the world did you get here?" Geppetto asked.

"You tell me! How does a clockmaker wind up in the belly of a whale?" Jiminy inquired.

"Well, it's a long story..."

"We've got time." Sora said as he climbed up the side of the ship. Corita, Goofy, and Donald followed, and soon they all stood on the ship, waiting to hear Geppetto's tale.

* * *

"So you sailed out to look for Pinocchio..." Donald repeated. 

"...and Monstro...swallowed you?" Corita finished in disgust.

"Well, it was worth it, because I found my son." Geppetto said happily.

"But now you can't get out, can you? It must be awful being stuck inside Monstro." Sora said softly, looking around the dismal cavern.

"Not if Pinocchio and I are together. I couldn't live without him. There's nothing better than being reunited with someone you care about."

"I feel the same way, Geppetto." Sora told him. The kind old clockmaker smiled.

"I don't care if I'm trapped here, so long as I have Pinocchio. He's such a good boy."

"Well, he still tells fibs. But with a little help from me..." Jiminy stated.

"Oh, Jiminy, you worry too much." Corita told him. "Speaking of Pinocchio... Where is he?"  
The group turned around, but Pinocchio wasn't there. No sound of small wooden footsteps filled the cavern either; no giggles of laughter.

"I expect he's off exploring. That boy has been poking around just about every square inch of Monstro. He won't tell me why it's so important. I tell him it's dangerous, but he won't listen." Geppetto sighed.

"That puppet's a handful! Sora, if you don't mind..." Jiminy whispered.

"I know, I know. You want us to help you find him, right? C'mon guys, let's get going!" Sora cheered enthusiastically.

"Let's see if he maintains that enthusiasm." Corita whispered up to Jiminy, who began to engage in fits of laughter. The 5 of them hopped off the ship, said their goodbyes to Geppetto, and headed back through the 'door' from whence they came.

After they'd taken a few steps into the next cavern, Sora stopped dead in his tracks. As it usually did, this caused all those behind him to collide in a spectacular fashion.

"SORA!" Corita roared as she fell onto the squishy floor.

"Sorry. Maybe you should learn not to walk behind me." Sora joked, helping her up. "Anyway, look around you. Does any of this look familiar?"

Corita brushed herself off, and turned her head to look around the area they were in. Next to her, Sora did the same thing.

"Isn't this where..." Corita said slowly.  
"Yeah...this is where we first saw Riku again." Sora told her.

* * *

The room was large, just as the group remembered it. Various platforms were scattered amongst the cavern, and a sickly yellow colored acid filled all the nooks and crannies not covered by platforms. The largest platform in the center was occupied by a small puppet boy. 

"Pinocchio, you naughty boy! You know Geppetto worries when you wander off by yourself." Jiminy cried as the group ran up to him.

"Jiminy was worried, too!" Corita told him as they halted in front of him.

"I'm sorry..." Pinoccho sighed sadly, hanging his head.

"What are you doing, anyway? Looking for something?" Sora asked.

Pinocchio's head perked back up. "Um...yeah, I'm looking for treasure!"  
After he'd spoked, his nose grew a few inches once again, and Jiminy sighed. "Here we go again."

"But, Jiminy..." Pinocchio whispered softly.

"Now, don't be so hard on the little fella, Jiminy. We promise not to get mad, Pinocchio." Goofy said, kneeling down to the puppet boy's level. "Is that why you're afraid to tell? No need to fret. Tell us the truth...we'll understand. Put yer trust in Goofy!"

Pinocchio looked up at Goofy with his giant eyes, slowly filling with trust. Goofy gave him a huge grin, and Pinocchio spoke softly, "I was looking for a way out. Father says he's happy, but it's my fault we're stuck here. I shouldn't have run away from home. I want to help Father get home to the workshop. But he'll worry if I tell him what I'm doing."

"I get it. So that's why you had to lie." Jiminy said.

"You did it 'cause you love your dad!" Goofy chuckled.

"All you need now is courage!" Corita said.

"What?" Pinocchio asked, looking up at her.

"Tell Geppetto the truth. With a little courage, you can do it! If you tell him how you really fell, I bet he'll help you find a way out!"

"And we'll give you a hand!" Sora cheered.

"Really? You'll help us?" Pinocchio asked. Sora nodded. "Okay, I'll give it a try! Wish me luck, Jiminy!"

"No more keeping secrets, then. Have we got a deal?" Jiminy asked more sternly.

"Sure! I'll be brave and tell Father how I really feel. No lies this time!"  
"Great! Then your nose won't-"

As Jiminy spoke, the ground began to rumble. The group quickly threw out their arms to keep their balance, as they were used to sudden earthquakes, disasters, or other events such as this. Pinocchio, however, fell to the ground.

"What's happening?" Sora cried.

"I got a bad feeling about this!" Donald squawked.

"Pinocchio, run for it!" Jiminy cried as he clung to Corita's hair. Pinocchio nodded and tried to get up, but as he attempted to stand a shadow fell from the ceiling.

"Pinocchio, where are you?" Sora cried as the Heartless that had fallen turned to face them.

"Help! I'm trapped!" Pinocchio called from inside the Heartless's giant mouth.

"What?" Sora cried, making his Keyblade appear and preparing to battle. As Corita, Donald, and Goofy turned into cards, Jiminy fell to the ground rather ungracefully.

"Ugh...I miss my old-fashioned perch." Jiminy moaned as he hopped into Sora's pocket.

* * *

"Help me! I'm scared!" Pinocchio cried from inside the Heartless as Sora slashed at it with the Keyblade.

"Pinocchio, be brave!" Sora called as he held up a Goofy card and Goofy appeared to give the Heartless a few good whacks.

"How?" The puppet boy whimpered.

"Don't give up! Try fighting your way out!" Sora told him.

"Be brave... Okay, I'll try!"

Pinocchio began struggling against the Parasite Cage's mouth, and the Heartless quickly opened its mouth to release the boy. Pinocchio ran out of the Heartless and towards the end of the platform as Sora finished it off. Right after it had vanished, Corita, Goofy, and Donald appeared once again near Pinocchio.

"Pinocchio, are you all right?" Jiminy cried as he lept out of Sora's pocket.

"Don't worry, I'm okay. Just a little sticky..." Pinocchio muttered.

"That's okay. He doesn't look hurt." Corita said, surveying him.

"But I have a great idea! The Heartless spit me out when I started struggling. Why don't we try the same thing with Monstro?" Pinocchio suggested.

"Of course! If we're lucky, Monstro might cough us up!" Sora said.

"Great idea! Let's go deeper inside and try it!" Donald said.

"I'm going, too!" Pinocchio cheered.

Jiminy hopped over to him and looked up into Pinocchio's eyes with kindness. "No, it's too dangerous."  
"Aw, c'mon..."

"You should be with Geppetto. No use escaping from Monstro if you two get separated again!" Corita said kindly.

"Leave this to us." Sora said boldly.

"I guess you're right. Be careful, everybody!" Pinocchio said. Jiminy lept back onto Corita's head, and the group ran out of the chamber.

* * *

After running through the depths of the whale for a little while, the group finally reached a pathway in which the end was blocked by several large 'whale platforms'. Sora turned to face the group behind him. 

"Looks like this is as far as we go."

"Ready, then? Let's shake things up!" Corita cheered.

"It would be easier if we had someone to fight..." Donald muttered.  
Sora squinted behind Donald, and saw that several Heartless Shadows were slowly creeping up to them.

"Perfect timing. Looks like we've got company!" Sora said, grinning. He ran forward with the Keyblade, and the Shadows looked up to face him.

* * *

"It's working! Monstro's gonna sneeze!" Goofy cried as the ground began to rumble. Sora had defeated the Shadows, and it looked like Pinocchio's plans were working. 

"Whoa..." Corita muttered as Monstro prepared to sneeze. "HANG ON!"  
As the group felt themselves being shot forward, darkness surrounded them, and all they could do was wait for the wild ride to end.

"See? It was just the wind making that noise." Corita said, pointing overhead. Sora gave a sigh.

"Aw, man...I wish it was really a monster..."

"What do you expect in a boring place like this?" Riku asked.

"I'm outta here. If there's no monster to beat up, the least I can do is walk up the bridge." Corita mumbled, crawling out of the cave. The bright sunlight caused her to squint as she headed up the bridge to the highest point on the island. She'd always liked it there, as you could here the ocean hitting against the island and stare out at sea for miles and miles...

Corita pulled herself up the rocky path that she had to climb every time she wanted to get to her special spot. Sora and Riku weren't allowed up there; anytime they'd made it a plan to ambush her, she'd throw coconuts at them.

It wasn't a large place; a very rocky path led to it, and the top was a small almost circular area covered in sand and grass. Corita would lean against a small coconut tree when she went up there; sometimes she would even climb it to see farther out to sea. As she climbed the path today, the sun had begun to set, casting a beautiful red glow over the island. When she finally reached the top, the sun had almost completely set.

"I wonder if Sora and Riku are down there." Corita said, walking over to the coconut tree and staring down at the island. Below, 2 small figures could be seen battling with their tiny wooden swords. The silver-haired figure was beating the brown-haired figure quite spectacularly. Corita chuckled and walked back to the center of the platform, staring out to sea. She sat down and leaned against the tree, looking out into the infinite blue water's depths as the sun set behind the horizon...

-Sora53: Wh00t!  
Corita: Oh great, I'm dreaming again.  
Sora53: Of course.  
Sora Fangirls: Poor Sora! He can't remember!  
Sora53: Aw, stop. You know he does...ish...anyway, I have some sad news.  
Fans: What-sigh-  
Sora53: I'm going on vacation at the end of the week! No updating for almost a week!  
Fans: Oh, no.  
Sora53: So, I'll update as much as I can until then:D-


	13. Potions, capes, and experiment subjects

-Sora53: Yay! I feel like dancing!  
-does the super happy dance-  
Fans: Why are you dancing?  
Sora53: Because I'm finally going to get to make this interesting!  
Fans: Ooh, the battle with Larxene is coming up soon -bows to their Larxene shrine- She's mean, cold, and evil! SHE RULES!  
Corita: GAH-blasts Larxene shrine into oblivion-  
Joe: Such violence...-

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM. I own Corita and this brain which created her.  
-pokes brain in Dr. Finkelsteinish manner-

"CORITA!" Someone called. Corita feebly tried to open her eyes, but for some reason, her head ached too much.  
"Corita, get up!"

She let out a soft sigh, and for a moment, thought she was back on the Destiny Islands, lying on the sand. That is, until she realized that Donald was hitting her in the head with his staff.

Corita's eyes shot wide open, and Donald stopped hitting her with his staff. He took a few steps back when he saw that she was ticked off.

"Donald! Why did you have to do that?" Corita moaned as she stood up onto the wooden platform where they were.

"We tried everything else: dumping water on you, poking you with sticks..." Sora listed.

"I get the picture. What happened?" Corita asked.

"Well, Pinocchio's plan worked, and ol' Monstro gave one giant sneeze!" Goofy answered.

"Where's Pinocchio and his dad?"

"They're gone. They must've gotten out safely." Jiminy responded, gesturing towards the area where the old ship had once been. There was now nothing there but a pool of water.

"Without you, Jiminy? I thought there was no escaping your conscience!" Corita joked.

"I don't mind being left behind, as long as they're both safe. Maybe Pinocchio doesn't need me after all."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"That little puppet used to have trouble telling right from wrong. But he's come a long way. Maybe he doesn't need Jiminy Cricket anymore. Maybe he's better off without me nagging him all the time."

"Don't you remember what Geppetto said? 'There's nothing better than being reunited with someone you care about.' I bet Pinocchio's counting the days till he can see you again." Sora said.

"Well, what do you know... You might be right." Jiminy said happily.

"Until then, of course, you have your favorite perch back!" Corita cheered as Jiminy hopped back onto the Healer's head.

"Onward, trusty steed!" Jiminy cried joyfully as he sat down and pulled out a tiny new journal. "I've gotta fill this brand new journal up! Go and have journeys for me to write about!"

"Yeah!" Corita cheered as she headed off for the exit.

"Wait for me!" Sora called as he ran after her. Shrugging, Goofy and Donald followed after.

* * *

"Hey, Sora!" Donald called in the middle of the bright hallway in between floors. "Did you remember anything else about that girl?"

"Yeah, bits and pieces." Sora said as he halted next to Corita. Corita's expression, which had been a happy one moments before, quickly turned to a frown.

"Tell us about her! Talking about it might help you remember." Goofy suggested.

"Okay. Um..." Sora muttered as he thought for a few moments. Goofy and Donald looked on in anticipation.  
"She was quiet...and almost always drawing pictures. While we were all swimming at the beach, she'd draw a picture of it instead. Sometimes she drew us, too! She was really good at it. I think sometimes Riku and I would fight over who would get his picture drawn next.

But one day, she was gone. Just like that. I think our parents knew the reason. They might've even tried to explain it to me. But I was little. I probably didn't understand what was happening. I remember crying a little after she was gone. But that's it. I still can't remember her name."

"Still, up until now you didn't remember any of that! At this rate, you'll think of her name in no time!" Donald told him cheerfully.

"Anyone notice something odd? Sora's remembering things, instead of forgetting them. Hmm... Maybe forgetting things is the only way to reach the memories buried deeper down." Jiminy chirped from his perch.

"You mean you have to forget to remember?" Goofy said.

"So it's like those black-robed guys said. 'Our most precious memories lie deep in our hearts, out of reach.' And all that stuff about finding being losing and losing being finding... I didn't get it at first, but maybe this is what they were talking about."

"Aww, that's no fair! Why aren't the rest of us remembering anything yet? Come on, Goofy! We're not forgetting fast enough! Let's move!" Donald roared as he marched off to the stairs. Goofy followed in his usual gangly fashion, and Sora brushed past Corita without even looking at her.

"What, so I don't matter?" Corita called at their retreating backs. Sora turned around right as he was going up the stairs.

"Oh...sorry, Corita." He said with a grin, and then continued up the stairs.

* * *

"It looks like Sora's memories have taken root, just as we planned." Larxene said as she stared into the crystal orb's depths.

"Let's see how far our boy will go, then. Think it's time for another round?" Axel asked.

"Only if it's my turn to play. You had your fun on the first floor." Larxene answered, looking up at Axel.

"Remember, Larxene. Our job is to deliver him in one piece." Axel told her, tossing her a few cards.

"Fine. But who says I can't have my way with him first?" Larxene responded.

"Don't break him." Axel warned.

"Do I detect a soft spot?" Larxene asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"He's partly one of us."

"I'm not going to break the toy, Axel...just play with it. I'm not dumb."

"Then you won't mind the warning. Remember, Sora is the key. We need him if we're going to take the Organization."  
For a moment, she looked back into the crystal orb's depths. "However, we do seem to have a bit of a problem with the girl."

"Yes, the Princess." Axel said, looking into the orb himself. "I'm sure Marluxia knows what's occuring. He's come up with a solution. Don't break her, either."

"And I so wanted to..." Larxene said with a touch of disappointment. "I won't hurt her, either. At least until I have to."

Larxene's eyes flashed dangerously as she watched the tiny figures of Sora, Corita, Donald and Goofy walking through the castle. They stopped to talk for a short time, and Larxene turned away from the crystal.

"Anyway, you're in on it too, right? Well, keep it under your hood until the time is right." With that final warning, Larxene vanished.

"You would have been wise to do the same, Larxene." hissed Axel as he turned his attention back to the crystal.

* * *

"So, Sora, have you remembered your friend's name yet?" Goofy asked kindly as they approached the next stairway.

Sora sighed sadly. "Nope. For whatever reason, her name's the only thing that isn't coming back."

"That must be driving you crazy. You have the memories, but no name to go with them." Donald said.

"Heh...yeah."

"Hello!" Corita cried from behind them. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"Oh...sorry, Corita." Sora said as he turned to her. "I forgot you were there...I got so caught up in thinking..."

"Don't worry about it." Corita sighed. "Just...use the last card."

"Okay!" Sora said brightly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the last World Card that Axel had given him.

* * *

"Gawrsh! Don't like the looks of this place." Goofy said as they entered the new world in their traditional method. "I bet it's crawlin' with ghosts."

"Well, then. What's there to worry about?" Donald asked as he pulled himself off the ground. "You won't be spooked if you already know what's coming."

"You really think so?" Goofy asked.

"Trust me!" Donald said confidently. He took a few steps forward, when a disembodied voice stopped him.

"Welcome to Halloween Town!" The voice called out. The area around them suddenly went pitch black. About 10 feet in front of Donald, a head popped out of thin air. The group fell backwards, screaming.

"Wak! A ghost!" Donald cried. The figure began to laugh as the rest of his body appeared.

"Wow, that was the best shriek I've heard in ages! If you're THAT easy to scare, I'm gonna have a great time!"

"Why'd you have to scare us?" Corita asked as she stood up.

"Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Jack Skellington! Halloween Town is my town. I'm the king of nightmares and the master of terror! If you want chills and horror, you've come to the right place!"

"Well, we don't!" Donald roared.

"At the moment, we've got a little problem in Halloween Town." Jack said sadly.

"What kind of problem?" Sora asked.

"Well...a problem like this!" Jack said as he pointed to the ground. From where he was pointing, several Shadows had appeared, wriggling their antenna and creeping towards the group.

"Gyaaa!" Sora cried as he ran towards them with the Keyblade.

* * *

Jack watched as Donald lept up and down in a rage after Sora had defeated the Heartless. He flinched as Donald yelled, "What's the big idea! Why'd you go and call the Heartless?"

"I didn't call them. In fact, I'd love to get rid of them. The Heartless go around attacking people, instead of just scaring them." Jack explained calmly.

"Why are they here?" Sora asked as Donald stopped leaping up and down.

"I was just going to go ask Dr. Finkelstein the same question. I'm heading to his laboratory right now. Follow me!" Jack said cheerfully. He turned around and walked away from the group as Donald watched him with little trust.

"Sora, what should we do?" Corita asked.

"I guess we'd better go."

"I don't like this. What if he's leading us right to the Heartless?" Donald asked. The surrounding area once again went dark, and Jack's voice rang out through the darkness. "Bingo! You saw right through me!"

Jack's floating head appeared once again before them, and Donald let out a shriek. He ran behind Goofy, cowering.  
"Ha ha ha, just a joke! Now let's get going!" Jack said lightly. Donald groaned as he crawled out from behind Goofy and followed the tall skeleton-like man.

* * *

"Sora, I'm surprised." Corita remarked as they walked through the spooky town.

"How so?" Sora asked.

"You don't have your cape. I thought you'd be upset..."

Sora blinked a few times and looked at Corita again. "My cape? What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about your cape!"  
"When did I have a cape?"

"When we were here in real life! It was tiny, and you loved it so much...then we went back to Traverse Town and I was still wearing my werewolf ears, remember? You, Donald and Goofy laughed so much...but then I got us our own hotel, Hotel Corita! Don't you...remember?" Corita asked in vain as Sora continued to look at her like she was crazy.

"Sorry, I don't remember anything like that..."

Corita sighed sadly. She ran up to where Donald and Goofy were walking, and asked them about Hotel Corita. Neither of them remembered anything.

"ARRGH! I HATE THIS CASTLE!" Corita roared as she kicked a fake tombstone, set up to scare those who passed by. Her problems were only made worse by the fact that her foot now hurt, and a ghost had flown out at her.

"AH!" She cried as she ran behind Goofy, trembling. Jack turned to give a hearty laugh.

"Don't worry, my dear. They aren't real ghosts...though that scream was almost as good as Donald's." Jack commented. Donald's cheeks grew a bright red color.

"How much farther until we get to Dr. Finkelstein's?" Sora asked as Corita emerged from behind Goofy, glowing as red as Donald.

"Not too much farther." Jack replied.

* * *

"Allow me to introduce Dr. Finkelstein, the world-famous genius!" Jack boomed as they stood in the laboratory.

"Yes! Maybe I'm TOO smart. I'm afraid I've created something horrible!" the doctor cried after Jack had introduced him. The doctor was a short man dressed all in white, sitting in a wheelchair with a distressed look on his face.

"Gawrsh! What's that?" Goofy asked.

"Well..." Dr. Finkelstein said slowly. "Have you ever stopped to think about 'true memories'?" "True memories?" Corita asked.

The doctor nodded. "Our hearts are full of memories...but not all of them reflect the truth. The heart isn't a recording device. Even important memories change with time. They warp or fade, leaving us with but a shadow of what we hoped to remember."

"Could that be happening to me?" Sora wondered.

"It happens to everyone. Some memories grow ugly, and some become more beautiful. If we could recover our true memories, the world would seem completely different. So, I devised a potion from forget-me-nots that brings our true memories back."

"Did it work?" asked Corita.

"Well, that's the problem..."

"As soon as the doctor got a whiff of the potion, Heartless started popping up!" Jack explained.

"Sounds to me like the experiment failed." Donald said, tapping his foot impatiently.

"No! My research is flawless!" Dr. Finkelstein cried. "I just need another look at the potion to find out what went wrong! Unfortunately...it's vanished."

"Maybe someone swiped it?" Sora suggested.

"It must've been Sally! Jack, you've got to find her and get my potion back." the doctor said.

"Leave it to me!" Jack cheered.

"Can I tag along?" Sora asked.

"What for?"

"I want to know more about these 'true memories' the doctor keeps mentioning."

"Excellent! Let's go find Sally, then!"

* * *

"There you are Sally! I thought I'd find you here." Jack said in relief as he ran up to Sally. Sally was a tall, slender girl, who would be considered perfectly normal had she not been made of patches and various body parts stitched together.

"Who are your friends?" Sally asked politely. She was standing in the graveyard, illuminated by the light of the bright moon.

"They're interested in true memories. You have the potion, don't you?"

"Well...yes."

"Could you give it back?" Sora asked.

"I guess so, if you insist." Sally muttered, pulling out a small bottle with a bright green potion inside. "But...I'm afraid. All the Doctor did was smell it, and the Heartlesss appeared. What if someone drinks it?"

"Are you kidding? What could be more exciting?" Jack asked excitedly.

Sally sighed. "I'm worried, Jack. Isn't there another way?"

"Any ideas, Jack?" Sora asked.

"I can't think of a thing."

"I can! Give it here!" called out a loud obnoxious voice. A large coffin near them burst open, and in a flash the potion in Sally's hands had been grabbed and taken away. The group was too stunned to do anything for a moment, but once they recovered they ran to the large sack of bugs that held the potion in his greedy hands.

"Oh, no! The potion!" Corita cried as she watched the sack look down at it in glee.

"Oogie! You again!" Jack roared.

"Jack, where are your manners?" Oogie Boogie asked lazily. "I'm just helping you put the potion to good use! You should thank me! Well, well. Just one sniff, and the Heartless appeared. What would happen if I chugged the whole thing? THAT would be scary!" With that, Oogie Boogie turned away from them. "Poor Jack! You can't hold a candle to Oogie Boogie. Halloween Town is going to taste pain and despair beyond any nightmare!"

With those final parting words, Oogie Boogie ran away as fast as his chubby legs could carry him.

"Pain and despair? Oogie, you monster!" Jack cried.

"C'mon, Jack! We've gotta go after him!" Sora said. Jack nodded, and the group ran off to follow the evil Oogie Boogie. Behind them, Sally watched in terror as they ran away.

* * *

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh...I've got an awesome cape...yes I do, la la la...It's about 15 sizes too small and has little tiny wings..." Corita sung to herself. Sora overheard her and looked at her like she was crazy.

"What are you singing?"  
Corita looked up at him in surprise. "Oh, nothing..."

"Look! We're almost there!" Jack told them, pointing a bony finger at a green door not too far away. They'd been climbing the manor for a while now, and it looked like they'd found the door Jack had been looking for.

"Let's go in, then." Goofy said merrily as he shoved the door open. The room was just as they remembered it. Giant wheel, various buzzsaws and other large machines scattered around. On the opposite side of the room, Oogie Boogie was watching them with delight in his empty eyes.

"Oogie! Hand over the potion!" Jack called as he entered the room.

"You fools don't know when to quit!" Oogie roared. "Say...all this runnin' around is making me thirsty!"

"Oogie! No!" Sora cried.

"Yes!" Oogie roared gleefully. He pulled off the top of the small container, and emptied the contents of the bottle down his throat.

"Oh, no..." Corita muttered as Oogie finished draining the potion.

"Ahh! Lip-smacking good!" Oogie taunted as he pulled the bottle away from his mouth. "Now I can awaken my true memories! Agh! What's this? What... Something's welling up deep inside me - something...scary!"

"Oogie! What's going on?" Jack called out. Oogie looked at them in fear.

"No! Get back! Stay away from me! Get away! You're s-s-scaring me!"

"We have no choice!" Sora called to the group. He whisked out his Keyblade and ran towards Oogie, who wastremblingwith fear.

* * *

"Confound that Oogie Boogie! He drank nearly all of my precious potion! There are only a few drops left!" Dr. Finkelstein cried as he held up the nearly empty bottle of green liquid that the group had brought back from Oogie's manor.

"Sora, why don't you ask the doc if you can drink the rest?" Goofy suggested.

Sora hung his head and thought for a moment with the whole group watching. He lifted his head after a few seconds. "No. I'd better not."

"What, don't you want it? Too bad. It would've been a great experiment." Dr. Finkelstein said.

"Hear that, Sora? You could've been an experiment." Corita said, hitting him lightly with her elbow. Sora looked up at her.

"Please. You'd make a better experiment than I would."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Corita cried as Donald and Goofy burst out laughing.

"Now, Doctor..." Sally said softly.

"Don't you want to find out about your true memories?" Jack asked.

Sora nodded. "Of course...now more than ever. But there's this guy - Axel. I promised him I'd find the truth on my own."

"Oh yeah..." Corita said after she'd hit Donald on the beak. "Axel..."

"I just don't understand." the doctor said softly. "When I inhaled the potion, Heartless appeared...and when Oogie drank it, he was overcome with fear. What could it mean?"

"It means the potion was a failure." Sally told him kindly.

"No! I can't be wrong! Oogie MUST have found his true memories! Hm... True memories must unbalance the heart and cause unpredictable changes within!"

"Then...what about me? What happens when my true memories awaken?" Sora asked.

"Perhaps something even more terrifying... But this is all just a hypothesis. I can't be sure without further research." Dr. Finkelstein said. With that, he left the room, still muttering to himself about the potion.

"Hear that, Sora? He wants to research you." Corita said.

"You'd make a more fascinating research subject." Sora told her.

"Wait a second...HEY! STOP BEING MEAN!" Corita cried as Donald and Goofy once again broke out in torrents of laughter.

As Corita turned around to try to stop their, laughter, Jack said to Sora softly, "What's wrong, Sora? Does the doctor's theory scare you?"

"Well, yeah...a little."

"That's good to hear! Fear and insecurity are signs of a strong heart. Without that strength, your zest for life would fade...as would your taste for fear. And believe me, that would really ruin my fun." Jack whispered, winking.

"Thanks, Jack. I'll remember that." Sora said, nodding. Behind them, Donald and Corita had gotten into yet another fight.

"Haha! Corita the experiment!"

"SHUT UP OR I'LL BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION!"

"GO AHEAD AND TRY!"

Jack and Sora had joined in with the laughter, and within minutes, Corita and Donald's shouting had ceased. "Good luck, lady and gentlemen!" Jack said as the group prepared to leave. "May you always keep the desire to scream!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Donald muttered as they closed the door to the laboratory behind them. "If I scream one more time here, I'll...WAK!"

Jack's floating head had appeared once more, scaring Donald and causing him to fall backwards into the rest of the group. Their laughter continued all the way up to the world's exit, with Donald's very feathers glowing pink. 

-Sora53: YAY! I can't wait to write the next part!  
Fans: That means the next chappie might liven things up.  
Sora53: Hopefully I'll be able to write it all before Saturday...that's the day I'm leaving. If not, you get left behind in the suspense.  
Sora Fangirls: SORA FORGOT HIS CAPE! AND HOTEL CORITA!  
Joe: Corita didn't.  
Corita: SHUT UP! There is nothing strange going on... -eye twitch-  
Axel: I WILL RULE YOU ALL!  
Everyone-strange stare-  
Axel: I'm going now...-


	14. Naminé

-Sora53: I have returned from vacation! I give you a chaper FULL of dun dun dun moments!  
Fans: There are so many, you'll apparantly die. -sigh-  
Corita: GAH!  
Sora53: Oh yeah. Corita doesn't like this chappie.  
Joe: I'm sorry, Corita! Sora53 had to fit the battle with Larxene in eventually...  
Riku Fangirls: RIKU! RIKU RIKU RIKU!  
Sora53: Let's...get on with the chappie...Oo  
Naminé: Good idea...before Corita kills someone.  
Corita: GAH! 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM, but I own Corita. FEAR THE DUN DUN DUN MOMENTS!

"Riku, I presume?" Asked a lone figure at the end of the gleaming hallway. Having gone through a few worlds alone, fighting only dark creatures, it was a bit of a shock for Riku to see someone else in the castle.

"Who are you? Are you with Ansem?" Riku asked cautiously.

"You are half correct." The figure answered calmly. He had long, tannish hair that rested lightly on the top of his black robe. Arms crossed, he was watching Riku with interest.

"Let us say that it's not the Ansem you know. He is Ansem and he is not...which is the say he is nobody."

"Nobody, huh? Sorry, riddles aren't my thing. Try making some sense."

"He belongs to neither the light nor the dark, but walks the twilight between. As do I. And for that matter..." he said slowly, surveying Riku. Riku's expression changed from that of cautious curiousity to shock. "Ha ha, that's right. We have much in common."

"Maybe we do... But so what?" Riku asked angrily. "Is that an invitation to join your club? Yeah, there's darkness inside me, just like you said. But darkness is my enemy! And you are, too, for making everything around here reek of it!"

Riku furiously grabbed his sword, readying to battle. The man stepped forward, eyes gleaming.  
"Oh ho, so it's a fight you want. Very well — a fight you shall get!"

* * *

"Ha ha ha... This battle has made it clear. The darkness coursing through you is a tremendous power. All you needed was the right provocation." The man said after their battle was complete. Riku stood near him, watching him carefully. After the man said this, Riku lowered his sword.

"Great. So this was a trick."

"Precisely. Your fiery reaction provided just the data I needed. You have my thanks, Riku!"

The man vanished, and Riku sighed. Solving riddles, avoiding traps and not being tricked by other people apparently weren't his strong points.

* * *

The group's laughter echoed throughout the hall as Donald angrily trudged behind them.  
"It wasn't that funny, you know." Donald said as they began to calm down.

"Yeah, Donald's right. It wasn't funny. It was _classic_!" Goofy said as he wiped a tear from his eye from laughing too much.

"Okay, that's enough." Sora told them as he stopped laughing as well. "We should be figuring out what to do. We ran out of the cards that Axel gave us."

In the front of the group, Corita's hand suddenly reached for her staff, something she hadn't done in a while. The group looked at her in surprise.

"What's wrong, Corita?" Sora asked.

"There's someone there..." Corita whispered. The group was turned towards where they'd come from, and had not yet turned to face the next set of stairs. Naturally, since Corita was acting like the person was very dangerous, they all turned to face the new figure immediately.

Standing before the next set of stairs was another black-robed unknown. Unlike the others they'd seen, however, she was female. She was tall, had blonde hair, and was looking down at them with ice-cold eyes, devoid of any sign of sympathy or mercy.

"You're with Axel, aren't you!" Donald called to the figure.

"Ooh, aren't you clever." She called back. Her voice caused Sora and Corita to wince, though they didn't know why. "The name's Larxene. Are you enjoying your stay in Castle Oblivion? I bet it's nice to peel all the worthless memories away...and awaken the true memories that lie deep in your heart."

"True memories?" Sora asked, walking forward.

"But you're still forgetting something, aren't you, Sora?" Larxene asked, moving towards the Keyblade Master. Corita's hand instinctively reached for the handle of her staff. "The most important thing." Larxene continued. "When that poor girl hears you've forgotten her name, she'll be heartbroken."

"You know her! Is she...here?" Sora cried. Larxene smiled and nodded.

"U-huuuuh. The bad guys are holding her deep within the castle. And you, the hero, have to go save her." Corita ran forward from where she'd been watching with Donald and Goofy, full of fury. Larxene looked down at her with icy eyes. "Sadly, there's a catch..."

At that moment, Larxene rushed forward, passing through Sora as if he were made of air. Sora was knocked to the ground, and something flew out of his pocket, something star-shaped...

Sora, who was lying on his back, feebly attempted to open his eyes. Everything around him was a blinding white...for a moment, he couldn't hear anything. Then, he heard a voice. A familiar voice...no, he'd never heard the voice before. He opened his eyes, and he could make out a blurry shape.

His own blue eyes were staring at him; the girl who owned them was calling his name. She had brown hair like his, but it was lying wilted on her head...  
_  
"Who..."_ Sora whispered softly, so softly that only he could hear it... _"...are you?"  
_  
"Sora!" He heard her say clearly. How did she know his name?

"Corita!" Donald called from severel feet away. Sora's mind instantly snapped back into place. Of course it was Corita...

"I'M a bad guy, so you have to go through me!" Larxene's cold voice said, echoing menacingly through the hall.

"Uhhh..." Sora managed to say as he turned his head away from Larxene's cutting voice. Lying on the floor next to him was a small star-shaped charm that looked like a Paupu fruit.

"What's...that?" Sora wondered aloud softly. "Is that mine?"

"Tsk, tsk. You've been wearing it all this time, and you forgot? No, you couldn't have. The memory is engraved in your heart." Larxene taunted. She was now standing only a few feet away from where Sora was lying on the floor, and where Corita was kneeling next to him. "Now think, Sora. What oh what could it be? Who gave it to you?"

Sora's head was swimming; countless thoughts were running through his mind. He concentrated hard, trying to remember...

"Na..." He found himself saying softly as he stared at the charm. "Na...mi?"

"That's right! Free the memory from your heart!" Larxene urged as Sora gazed upon the charm. Corita's eyes turned away from her brother and stared instead at Larxene with pure hatred.

"Nami..." Sora said once more, his concentration fading. He looked at the charm once more, and his eyes flashed. "Naminé."

Larxene sighed impatiently. "Well, it's about time. That's right...Naminé. She's the one that gave you the cheesy good luck charm. Not that you remembered."

Larxene vanished for a moment, and then re-appeared in front of Sora and Corita.  
"No surprise, seeing as you forgot her NAME." Larxene taunted lazily.

"Stop it!" Corita cried. She reached for her staff and grabbed it, pulling it away from where it hung like unsheathing a sword. In her blind fury, she forgot that she was in Castle Oblivion, forgot that she was yelling at someone who probably actually _could_ blast her into oblivion if she felt like it...

Her fury left her through her staff, and a bright bolt of fire shot out towards Larxene. Larxene narrowly avoided it, and she turned her attention away from Sora and to Corita. Corita had a shocked expression on her face, and was looking at her staff in awe.

"How..." she whispered to herself as Larxene moved towards her.

"My darling little Princess," Larxene said, and Corita winced. She looked away from her staff to look up at the icy eyes that were staring into her own. "you'd be wise to stay out of things that don't concern you. Sora, for instance."

Anger boiled once again within Corita's heart. "Are you saying I shouldn't be concerned about Sora!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Larxene said lazily. "You might want to think things over before becoming too attatched to journeying in Castle Oblivion with him."

"What are you saying?" Corita roared. Larxene gave an evil grin. She turned away from the enraged Corita to speak to her twin, who had recovered and was kneeling on the floor.

"Poor little Naminé...you forgot her name! Talk about heartless! It'd serve you right if I smashed this piece of junk!" Larxene said, picking up the good luck charm that was still on the ground.  
Sora's eyes flashed and he lept off the ground. He dashed forward, grabbed the good luck charm from Larxene's hand, and returned to where he'd been. "Don't you touch it!" Sora growled, clutching the charm with all his might. "Naminé gave me this. It's precious to me!"

"Precious? Spare me! Ten seconds ago you didn't even know what it was!" Larxene cried, a note of amusement in her voice. Sora summoned the Keyblade into his hands, preparing to battle.

* * *

"Hey, you're not half bad. Guess you really are a hero. A heartless hero!" Larxene taunted.

"Who asked you?" Sora cried.

"Does it hurt 'cause it's true?" Larxene asked in a taunting baby voice. "Grow up, Sora." she said, returning to her normal voice. "If you're going to be a baby, then here...play with these." Larxene nimbly tossed Sora some Worlds Cards, and the Keyblade Master caught them with ease. "They're more cards made from your memories. Say 'thank you' like a good boy. Ta-ta!"

"Larxene!" Corita cried, running forward. Larxene looked down at her for a moment. Corita, for a moment, saw something strange in her eyes. Larxene's eyes reflected the same amount of hatred as Corita's as they stared at each other.  
Larxene wasted no time, however. She vanished, leaving Corita fuming and Sora running towards the thin air where she'd been moments before.

"Larxene! Wait!" Sora called.

"Where are you? Don't you dare hide from me!" Corita roared, running towards the next flight of stairs.

"Come back here! Show yourself!" Sora yelled, but no response came but their own voices echoing in the hall.

"Guys! Calm down!" Jiminy chirped. "She's not coming back!"

Corita turned away from the group and closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. Sora looked up at Donald, Jimimy and Goofy who'd just run towards them.

"I hate her." He choked, gripping the small paupu fruit-shaped charm. "It's not fair that she's the one who made me remember...Naminé is too special for that."

"Nahmeenay?" Goofy asked.

"Naminé" Sora answered.

"Well, Sora, any friend of yours is a friend of ours! Let's go help Nahmeenay!" Goofy chuckled.

"Yeah, Sora." Corita said as she turned around to face them, a funny smirk on her face. "I'll bet _Nahmeenay_ needs us."  
Sora smiled for the first time in a long while, and the group headed towards the next set of stairs.

* * *

"Whew... Throwing the battle back there really wore me out." Larxene said cooly as she approached Axel.

"Throwing the battle? Looks to me like you plain old lost the battle." Axel said, smirking.

"H-How dare you! You just don't appreciate the finer nuances of —"

"Axel is right. That was an ungainly performance, Larxene." A new voice said as a man entered the room.

"Vexen!" Larxene gasped. Vexen's long tan hair rested evenly on his shoulders, and a grin spread across his face.

"Humbled by someone of such limited significance. You shame yourself and the Organization."

"Grr.." Larxene growled, but Axel interrupted before she could start yelling.

"Can we help you, Vexen? It's not very often we see you topside." Axel said warily as Larxene calmed down from the insult.

"I came to lend a hand. I remain unconvinced of any potential in this 'hero' you've been coddling." Vexen told him coolly.  
"Perhaps an experiment would put my doubts to rest."

"I knew this would happen. Everything's an experiment with you." Larxene said bitterly.

"I'm a scientist. Experimentation is what I do." Vexen told her.

"Whatever, Vexen. Do what you want." Axel muttered, crossing his arms.

"By the way." Vexen said, moving slowly towards the crystal ball in the center of the room. "I've heard rumors...Is it true? About the girl?"

"Seems so." Axel muttered. Larxene's eyes flashed. Vexen's eyes scanned the orb's depths, looking down at the miniscule form of Corita.

"Don't get your hopes up, Vexen." Axel said bitterly. "One experiment right now is enough."

"A Princess of Heart...fascinating..." Vexen muttered, apparently not hearing Axel.

"It's because of that little Princess that our plans almost collapsed." Larxene told Vexen with a touch of anger in her voice's tone.

"Yes." Vexen whispered, looking up from the orb. "A Princess's pure heart cannot be touched by the twisting magic you've been using up here."

"_Twisting magic_?" Larxene asked, a hint of fury in her cold voice. Axel, noticing this, quickly jumped back to the previous conversation.

"Cut the act, Vexen. Testing Sora is just an excuse to test your little follower."

"Follower? I'll have you know he's the product of much research."

"What he is is a toy." Larxene taunted softly.

"Hmph. I see I'm wasting my time."

"Have your fun. But take this with you. A wild card to keep the game fresh." Axel told him. He tossed a shining silver card to the older man, and Vexen caught it with ease. "Now don't tell me I don't respect my elders."

"I dare say I won't."

Vexen turned away from Axel and Larxene to greet someone else who'd appeared in the doorway, someone with shining silver hair... 

Sora53: Um, dun dun dun?  
Naminé/Joe: DUN DUN DUN!  
Fans: Oh, that chappie was exciting. Did you have a nice vacation, Sora53?  
Sora53: Um, yeah?  
Fans: YOU KEPT US WAITING FOR 6 DAYS FOR THAT! NOW WE HAVE TO HURT YOU!  
Naminé/Joe/all the other random people: YEAH!  
Sora53: Uh oh.  
Sora: Dun dun dun!  
Corita: Fire spells, raging, and not forgettingness! And...LARXENE! GAH!  
Joe: Corita...it was so brave, how you stood up to Larxene...  
Corita: Thank you, Joe-


	15. Donald's new phobia

-Sora53: -cowers before several angry mobs- I know I haven't updated in a little while...  
Fans: ATTACK!  
Angry Mobs: GAH!  
Sora53: AHH! -runs away screaming like a sissy-  
Joe: Now this is high quality entertainment!  
Naminé: You can say that again!  
Joe: Now this is high quality entertainment!  
Naminé: I wasn't being serious...- 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM. Ah well. At least I own Corita. Meep.

Corita bitterly stared at the ground, trying to make sense of what was going on. No matter how hard she tried, though, nothing clicked. They were in Castle Oblivion, where as soon as you stepped through the doors, you should forget every spell and ability you knew before entering. She, however, had shot a fire spell at Larxene like she'd never entered the castle. Here, her brother and friends were slowly forgetting their past, piece by piece, yet remembering things from their past that, up until now, they'd forgotten long ago. She wasn't forgetting anything, nor was she remembering anything. Plus, she had a nasty feeling...a feeling that Sora, Donald, and Goofy were forgetting something more important than just Hotel Corita, Hollow Bastion and Sora's Halloween cape...

"Corita!" Sora called. She jerked her head up instantly.

"Yes?" She asked nervously, secretly happy that he'd said her name. At least he still knew who she was...for the time being.

"It's your turn to pick a card. Donald didn't want to, and Goofy got distracted because they were shiny." Sora told her solemnly. Corita gave a short laugh and stepped forward. Nimbly pulling one from the small stack, she held it up and looked at it. Gleaming in the bright hallway, she saw various colored fish, coral, and a sparkling blue ocean.

"This one'll do." She said, handing the card back to Sora. Sora grinned and moved towards the door.

"Okay, everyone! Hold on to your hats, it's gonna be another wild ride!" He said merrily. Donald gave an impatient sigh.

Sora grinned as he held the card up to the door. Behind the bright smile, however, was chaos. Naminé was being held prisoner in the castle, he was being stalked by creepy robed people...

...and he was forgetting everything he once knew piece by piece.

* * *

The moment they'd landed in the new world, Donald gave a loud, piercing shriek. 

"S-S-Sand!" He quivered, pointing to the ground. Sora, Corita and Goofy looked at him in shock.

"Donald, it's just a bit of sand." Goofy told him, picking up a handful and moving towards him.

"No! Keep that stuff away from me!" Donald roared. Sora and Corita proceeded to laugh at the duck's expense.

"Uh, guys?" Goofy said as Donald sulked and Sora and Corita laughed. "Someone's swimming this way!"

"What?" Sora asked. "Don't be silly, Goofy. _Swimming_ towards us?"

"Sora, he's right." Donald said, pointing to someone who was unmistakably swimming towards them.  
The young mermaid who was swimming towards them didn't seem to notice them at all. She was speeding along as fast as her fins could carry her, but when she saw the group, she came to a sudden stop. A worried look on her face, she moved closer towards them.

"If anyone asks, you didn't see me!" She cried.

"Woah, calm down! What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"I don't have time to explain! Just promise you won't tell!" She pleaded.

"Hey, wait a second!" Donald growled. The young mermaid gave a small leap into the air (as well as mermaids can leap) and turned towards him. "What's that you're hiding behind your back?" He asked suspiciously.

"N-nothing!" She said, turning away from them, yet clearly keeping something hidden away from them in her hand. "Remember, you didn't see me!"  
The mermaid swam off quickly, leaving the group behind. They stood with arms crossed, pondering what was going on.

"If she was swimming, that means we're underwater...so how come we can breathe?" Goofy wondered.

Corita shook her head. "Don't know. But she was hiding something."

"Wonder what it was?" Sora thought aloud.

"Well, we're not gonna get anywhere thinkin' about it here!" Goofy chortled. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. We should follow her."

* * *

"This feels really weird." Sora said as they marched along the ground. 

"What, walking while fish are swimming around your head?" Corita asked.

"Yeah, that." Sora responded. Meanwhile, Donald was having another anxiety attack over the sand.  
"_MORE_ sand...plus, this is wet sand...it hurts even more when it hits you in the head..." Donald moaned to himself.

"Hey, Duck Boy!" Corita called from ahead of him. "I haven't even thrown any at you yet!"

"That's not the point!" Donald cried.  
They continued to argue over sand until they passed through a small canyon in the rock, and turned the corner out of the canyon to see a huge emerald-colored palace.

"Woah..." Sora whispered as they stared up at it. "Think we're allowed to go inside?"

"Who cares?" Corita asked, marching forward. "Since when have you worried about rules, Sora?"

"I dunno, it's just such a huge place..."

"We should go inside." Donald recommended.

The group headed along the giant path that led to the palace doors in silence. They were still trying to absorb the fact that they were clearly underwater, yet breathing and walking normally. Coral scattered the ground surrounding the path, and fish darted in and out of seaweed and from behind rocks. Eventually, they reached the palace, and when they entered, they found a very distressed-looking crab, muttering to himself.

"Oh, woe is me..." He moaned as the group cautiously approached him.  
Corita nudged Sora in the arm. "Sora, say something to him!"

"Me? Why not you?" Sora whispered back.

"Because, you're the Keyblade Master!"

"So?"

"Is there something wrong?" Donald asked, causing Sora and Corita to sigh in defeat.

The bright red crab looked up with a worried look on his face. "Someone's stolen the king's magic trident." He moaned, swimming up to them. "Atlantica is defenseless! And to top it off, Princess Ariel has disappeared! King Triton's worried sick. He won't leave his chambers." He muttered, turning away from them.

"Princess Ariel?" Sora said. "She disappeared?"

"I just said that, didn't I? Flounder would know where she is, but he's vanished as well...oh, woe is me..." He moaned, turning away from them and swimming back towards where a giant throne rested, empty of its usual occupant.

"Wait a second. Didn't we just see Ariel?" Sora asked.

Goofy nodded. "Sure did. She didn't seem too happy to see us, though."

"That thing she was holding behind her back..." Corita muttered.

"Do you think it was the trident?" Donald wondered.

"May have been." Goofy said.

Sora looked up at Goofy with a stunned look on his face. "Wait, why would she take it?"

"Dunno. But it's the only lead we have right now." Corita responded. Sora nodded.

"Do you think we should tell him about it?" Goofy asked, turning his head towards where the little crab sat, still muttering to himself.

"...If anything happens to you... It's all my fault! Sebastian, you are the world's worst guardian! What if she ran away because of my nagging? King Triton will banish me forever!"

Sora's face spread into an amused grin as he watched Sebastian talking to himself. "He'll pop his shell if we tell him."

"We should look for Ariel, then." Corita stated.

* * *

As she marched along besides her brother, Corita watched the ground, fascinated. Hundreds, maybe thousands of Thalassa Shells scattered the ground, every one a different color. Shades of purple, green, red, blue, even pearl while sparkled in the ocean light. Corita grinned as she reached into her pocket, gripping her own special Thalassa Shell.  
Her zoned-out mind, however, gave Donald ample opportunity for what he'd been wanting to do. The duck reached down and scooped up as large a handful of wet sand as his wings would allow him. 

"Look, Sora!" Corita said, bending down to pick something up off of the ground. At that moment, a large handful of sand went sailing over her, and landed with a plop a few feet ahead of her on the path. As Donald muttered bitterly, Corita stood up with a small stone in her hand. "Feel how smooth this stone is! Isn't the ocean amazing?" She asked.

Sora looked at her like she was crazy. "Sure, Corita. Whatever you say."  
Corita sighed. "You're so mean sometimes."

As they continued up the path,a soft voiceslowly grew louder. When it wasloud enough to clearly make out words, Sora stopped and turned towards the others. "That's Ariel's voice! We should listen in!"

"Isn't that, um, spying?" Donald hissed. Sora merely shoved him behind a rock.

"Ohh...everything's gone wrong..." Ariel moaned from the clearing up ahead of them. "I never should have taken Daddy's trident..."

"So she did take it!" Goofy whispered in triumph.

"Quiet! Someone's coming!" Sora whispered back.

"No need to worry, child. You did the right thing." said a cruel sounding voice. A large, purple and black octopus-like woman was moving towards Ariel, who was hanging her head sadly. Ariel looked up as the woman spoke with a nervous look on her face. "You think so, Ursula?"

"Of course!" The woman said. "Poor Flounder has been swept away to the human world. That's no place for a little fish. Why, if we don't hurry, you might not have a friend to save..."

"No!" Ariel cried, shocked and worried.

"Plus, you're not giving me the trident...more like lending it to me for a little bit. I promise, if you lend it to me, I'll save Flounder."

"But, Daddy needs the trident to defend Atlantica..." Ariel muttered, turning away from Ursula. "I need time to think, Ursula."

Ursula was silent for a few moments. Then, she gave a short laugh. "It's all the same to me." She said. "Just remember, your little friend is dodging fishhooks while you twiddle your fins. You can come see me once you've made up your mind."

Ursula swam away from the young mermaid, who was staring in the opposite direction. "What am I going to do?" She whispered. Sora heard, however. He stepped out from behind the rock he and Donald had been listening from.

"Don't trust Ursula, first of all." Sora advised. Ariel turned towards him with a shocked expression on her face, but after a few seconds it faded away.

"How long have you been listening?" She asked.

"Oh, long enough." Sora responded.

"No matter how hard-headed Sora may be..." Corita said as she approached them. "He's right. Don't trust her."

"Ursula's up to no good. It's written all over her face." Donald squawked angrily. Ariel's face broke into a smile.

"Then we all agree!" She said merrily. Her smile faded quickly, though. "It's just...I don't know where Flounder is. And Ursula's the only one who can help."

"Well, why don't we go talk to Ursula?" Sora suggested. "You shouldn't have to go by yourself."

"You'd do that?" Ariel asked, and the group nodded. "Thanks, everyone. We should get going."

Sora53: Uh, so it was a short chappie...DON'T KILL ME! If you kill me, I can't write anymore!  
Angry Mobs: -puts down pitchforks- She has a point.  
Fans: Darn it!  
Corita: There's such violence around here.  
Naminé: You can say that again.  
Corita: There's such violence around here.  
Naminé: It's a figure of speech, people!-


	16. Abandoned Friendship

-Sora53: Since I haven't updated in a while, here's a real treat! Two chappies within, like, 12 hours! Plus, if you haven't played CoM, this chappie will make your brain hurt.  
Fans: Wow, that's something to be proud of.  
Riku Fangirls: -burst in through the front door of wherever the heck we are- WE HEARD THERE WAS RIKU IN THIS CHAPTER!  
Sora53: Um...sure!  
Riku Fangirls: Riku? -melts-  
Sora53: I suppose I have to get used to them melting again.  
Corita: You deserve it with what you're doing to me in this stupid fic.  
Sora53: Doesn't it stink when you have a contract?  
Corita: I hate contracts. -glares at her contract to Memory's Rhapsody- 

Dislaimer: I dun own KH or CoM, but I own Corita. And the voices in her head.  
Corita: There are NOT voices in my head!

Ariel watched the group curiously as she circled above them in the water, watching them tread along the ocean floor. They were talking and walking normally, something that intrigued her.

"Are you guys from another world?" She asked. They looked up, startled by the sudden question.

"Why do you ask?" Sora wondered.

"Well, you have a very funny method of swimming." She remarked. "And those clothes look like they'd drag you down in the water."

At this comment, everyone looked down at their particular outfit, suddenly a bit self-conscious. Surely it must be strange for Ariel to see them...

"We're from an ocean...very far away." Sora explained.

"VERY far away." Goofy emphasized.

Ariel flashed a bright smile. "That's amazing! Maybe when we find Flounder, you can tell us about it!"

"Speaking of Flounder..." Corita said slowly, "how much farther to Ursula's...abode?"

"Not too much farther." Ariel answered as she drifted lazily above them.

* * *

Ursula's home wasn't much more than a large room, with various things scattered around the walls, such as a mirror and a chest filled with jewelry. As the group trudged into the room, the sea witch turned to face them with a smile.

"My, my! So many guests!" She cried with fake joy, surveying them. "What brings you all here?"

Ariel, while clearly nervous, swam in front of the group and stared Ursula in the eye. "You said you could save Flounder if I gave you the trident." She said softly. "But I need proof that you can before I hand it over to you."

Ursula's fake smile spread into a real one as her eyes changed from false joy to cruel deceit. "But of course! See?" Ursula chortled, waving a pudgy arm to her side. Flounder appeared in a flash of light, and Ursula moved in front of him, a wild gleam in her eye.

"Ariel!" The little fish cried from behind Ursula, clearly scared.

"I knew something was fishy!" Donald growled.

"There you have it. Give me the trident, and I'll let Flounder go." the sea witch told Ariel triumphantly. Ariel hesitated for a few moments, then sighed. She pulled out the trident from behind her back, and swam up to Ursula. She carefully handed it to her, who snatched it away greedily.

"Haha!" Ursula laughed. "I have the trident! Now I'm the ruler of the seas!"

"Let Flounder go!" Ariel cried as Ursula laughed.

"But of course! I'm feeling generous." Ursula said, moving to the side. Flounder swam frantically towards Ariel, who reached out to him kindly.

"Which reminds me... You always wanted to see other worlds, didn't you? Well, dear, I know just the world to send you to! Unfortunately, this will be a one-way trip!" Ursula roared, holding up the trident. It glowed a bright yellow color, and the area around them began to rumble. The ground began to shake as Ursula began to grow, getting larger and larger.

"The sea and all its spoils shall grovel before me!" She thundered. Sora instinctively summoned his Keyblade, searching for a weak spot.

* * *

"Don't be mad at me, Ariel. Ursula tricked me." Flounder muttered sadly.

"Flounder, don't worry about it. As long as you're safe, nothing else matters." Ariel said kindly. The little fish's fins perked up and he smiled a bit.

"But what if King Triton finds out that you're the one who took the trident in the first place?" Sora wondered.

Ariel gave a gentle laugh. "I'll be grounded for ages..."

"Ariel! Ariel! Where are you, girl? If you can hear me, please answer!" Called out a desperate voice.  
"It's Sebastian!" Ariel cried, turning towards where the voice was coming from. "He came all the way out here looking for me?"

"When he finds you, you're gonna get it..." Donald told her.

"Hey, I know!" Sora said. "Why don't you just say Ursula stole the trident? And you got it back all by yourself! Then there's no way you'll get in trouble!"

"I just had the same idea! But...I can't do that. I don't want to get in trouble, but I can't lie. Not about this. I know I haven't made the best decisions lately. It was a mistake to take the trident. But I made that mistake because I wanted to help you, Flounder. I'm proud of that. Blaming someone else would mean giving those feelings up. So, I'm going to tell the truth."

"She's right, Sora." Corita said. "Honesty is the best policy."

"Aw, I was just kidding." Sora muttered. "You don't need to make an inspirational speech about it..."

Ariel smiled at him, then turned her head back to where Sebastian was calling with increasing amounts of desperation in his voice. "I should go talk to Sebastian. Thanks, everyone."

"No problem!" Sora said happily. They parted ways, and the group headed for the world's exit.

* * *

Corita sighed as they marched up the stairs to the next hallway. In Atlantica, no one had noticed her much...maybe it was just her imagination...

Her attention was turned back to the present when Sora let out a loud gasp. Looking up at the end of the hallway, Corita did the exact same thing.

"You...you're..." Sora stuttered, lost for words.

"Riku!" Corita choked out, finishing Sora's sentence.

At the end of the hallway to which the group was now running, stood Riku. He was the same as they remembered him; silver hair hung over teal eyes that were watching them closely.

"What are YOU doing here?" Sora asked happily when they reached him. Riku didn't respond right away, however. When he did, it was in a cold, cutting voice.

"Don't sound so happy to see me, Sora. Let me know if I'm getting in the way of something more important."

"What?" Corita asked, stunned. "He didn't mean it that way!"

"Spare me." He muttered cruelly. "I bet you'd all but forgotten about me."

"Are you kidding?" Sora cried. "We came all this way because we were LOOKING for you!"

"Not anymore though, right Sora?" Riku asked. "Now it's Naminé this, Naminé that. You don't care about me any more than you care about how Naminé feels."

Sora and Corita looked at Riku in stunned silence. Their friend, the very one who'd closed himself behind the door to darkness to save them, was talking to them like he barely knew them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora choked out.

"Ha, you really are oblivious to everything, aren't you? Just because you want to see Naminé doesn't mean it goes both ways."

"Ha ha, very funny, Riku." Sora growled.

"I'm serious. Naminé doesn't even want to look at you." Riku said seriously.

"Why not?"

Riku stared at Sora intently for a few moments. "Ask your memories." He said simply. "If you bothered to remember why Naminé left the islands..."

"What? Is it...my fault? Did I do something? Riku..." Sora whispered, his voice growing softer and weaker with every word.

"Go home, you two. I can take care of Naminé." Riku said. "Anyone who goes near her goes through me!"  
Riku began to glow with darkness, and he was surrounded by it. A flash of black, and he was fitted with his clothes of darkness, gripping the handle of his sword.

"Riku, what's wrong with you?" Corita cried. "We find each other again, and you do this!"

"Since when have you two cared about me?" Riku growled. "Naminé's not the only one who's tired of you."

"Riku, stop!" Sora cried, but it was too late. Riku had rushed through them, knocking down the group of four. He then turned to Sora, who had taken out his Keyblade to guard against the next attack.

* * *

"Riku, come on! Wait up!" Sora cried as he ran after his friend. After defeating Riku in battle, Riku had run up the stairs, and Sora had chased him to no avail. He hung his head sadly as the rest of the team (who'd just turned back to their original forms after being cards) approached him.

"What's happened to him?" Sora wondered softly.

"We certainly was acting strange. Almost as if the Heartless were controlling him again." Jiminy chirped.

"No way! Ansem got to him once, but Ansem's history. We saw to that." Corita said.

"I wonder what happened to him..." Goofy muttered sadly.

"Wait a second!" Donald cried suddenly, causing the group to jump. "Isn't the king supposed to be with Riku? If something's happened to Riku, the king may be in danger! We've gotta get moving!"

"You're right..." Sora muttered.

"Sora..." Corita whispered sadly.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Riku is still your friend, and that's no mistake." Jiminy said from atop Donald's head.

"Really?" Sora asked.

"He sure said some awful things to you back there. But remember - we're in Castle Oblivion. People forget things here bit by bit. He probably's just forgotten that he and you were friends."

"He just forgot?" Sora wondered.

"That'd be my guess. So, let's figure out a way to make Riku remember. It's not like you to mope."

"Jiminy's right." Goofy said.

"Yeah...okay." Sora answered, smiling.

"No, no NO!" That is NOT what they Keyblade Master should sound like!" Corita told him, moving forward. "Try to sound more...heroic!"

"Huh? Okay, how's this..." Sora stated, walking in front of everyone. In a dramatic way, he held his Keyblade above his head and put on a brave face.

"I'll save Naminé, Riku, AND the king...and I'll do it blindfolded!"

"That's the spirit!" Jiminy cheered as Corita and Goofy broke out in fits of hysterical laughter.

Sora tried to keep a straight face as he called out, "Heartless? Hah! Forces of evil, do your worst!"

"NOW you're sounding heroic!" Jiminy cheered, applauding.

"He sure knows how to get carried away..." Donald muttered.

"Yep, that's our Sora!" Jiminy said happily as Corita and Goofy's laughter echoed through the hallway. 

Sora53: Fwee! I was cracking up during that part in the game!  
Sora: What, the part where Riku goes CRAZY?  
Sora53: No, the part where Sora was acting...heroic.  
Corita: YOU WILL ALL SUFFER!  
Naminé: ...Why?  
Corita: Because I'm joining sides with the Fans and the Riku Fangirls! We're starting a protest!  
Joe: ...protest? What are you protesting?  
Corita: No idea! But it sounded like a cool idea.  
Sora: Who are you again?  
Corita: That's not funny! -takes out staff- I WILL BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION!  
Sora53: No you won't. You have a contract. You're not allowed.-


	17. Pirates!

-Sora53: We're going through Neverland as painlessly as possible as well.  
Fans: Hehe, the next chappie is when it starts to get GOOD! -bows to their shrine of darkness-  
Naminé: Stop bowing to that shrine of darkness!  
Fans: Why? It's fun!  
Riku Fangirls: We want Riku! We want Riku!  
Corita: I want Riku! I want Riku! Wait...is that what we're protesting about? O.o -runs and hides- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. But I own Corita! You don't haha! Wait, come back! YOU MUST REVIEW! -cries-

"Ugh, I'll never forget this spot." Donald groaned. "This is where we became victim to a falling Sora."

"It's not like I could help it." Sora muttered. Underneath them, the ocean rolled, causing the old ship's wooden hull to creak and groan.

"Well, we'd better find a way out of here." Goofy recommended.

"Good idea. Maybe we should go out the door?" Donald suggested sarcastically as Goofy surveyed the room, looking for a way out.

"Oh...good idea, Donald!"

Donald approached the exit of the small room, but he was suddenly sent flying backwards, which promptly knocked Goofy and Corita to the floor.

"DONALD! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Nothing! I was attacked!"

"By what?"

"That!" Donald cried, pointing at the doorway.

Looking up while still in a tangled heap on the ground, they saw a small greenish pixie hovering in front of the door. She was staring at the group with a mingled expression of fear and curiosity.

"Pretty good kick for a pixie." Donald muttered as he got up off of Goofy.

"Maybe she's trying to help us." Sora thought.

"Are you kidding? Something that just _attacked_ me is trying to help us?" Donald yelled. The pixie flew over to Sora's head and began fluttering up and down, as if agreeing with him.

"Well, that makes it easy." Sora said smugly as Donald grumbled.  
"Goofy, Donald, let's go!" Sora cheered as he opened the door and Tinker Bell flew out ahead of them, with Donald and Goofy behind him and Corita staring at the ground in the rear.

* * *

"I don't feel safe on this ship." Donald groaned as the ship once again creaked to once side, sending the group sliding along the floor.

"Yeah. Plus, is it just me, or are all the rooms starting to look the same?" Sora wondered as they slid back to the other side.

"Some help SHE was." Donald muttered, watching Tinker Bell float in the air as they slid past her once again. "She's just leading us in circles..."

Indignant, Tinker Bell flew threw the air, stopping right in front of Donald. Donald looked up at her with fear right before she kicked him on the beak.

"I think ya mighta touched a nerve, Donald." Goofy said wisely as Donald cowered before the angry pixie.

"Tinker Bell!" An angry voice called from behind a group of barrels. "You weren't supposed to bring the pirates _with_ you!"

"That voice!" Corita said in a surprised tone. From behind the barrels, a young boy clad in green emerged, clutching a small knife and watching them closely.

"Stay back, pirates!" He said boldly. "You don't want to mess with Peter Pan!"

"What? We're not pirates!" Sora cried.

"Don't be so rude!" Donald told him angrily. "We're just here because...because...um, why are we here, Sora?"

"Beats me." Sora muttered. "Goofy?"

"I don't even know what's going on." Goofy said truthfully.

Peter Pan lowered his weapon. "Okay, I get it. No real pirate would get lost on their own ship."

"Wait, this is a pirate ship?" Sora asked. Peter Pan nodded.

"Yup. You're on the ship of the infamous Captain Hook." Peter Pan explained. "That same pirate kidnapped my friend Wendy. I was lying low until I got a chance to save her."

"Well, let's save her together!" Sora suggested.

Peter Pan thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I guess so. I could save her by myself, but you guys look like you'd be lost without me."

"Thanks." Corita muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I'm Sora, and these are my friends Donald and Goofy." Sora said.

Peter Pan nodded. "And who's this?"

"Oh, her?" Sora wondered, looking at the girl next to him. "She's...she's...um..."

"Sora, I can't believe you!" Corita cried. "CO-RI-TA!"

"Right! Corita!" Sora said, thankful for her interrupting before he made an even bigger fool of himself.

"And I'm Peter Pan. Let's go quick, before the pirates find us before we find them!"

* * *

"There she is!" Peter Pan sighed with relief, flying over to a young girl with blonde hair wearing a blue dress. "Wendy!"

Wendy looked up at Peter Pan with a shocked look on her face. "Peter Pan?"

"Wendy! I've finally found you!" Peter said happily. "Of course, my assistants here helped me. But there's no time for that! C'mon! Let's go explore Neverland!"

Wendy looked at Peter sadly. "Peter, I have to tell you something. I...want to go back to London."

Peter Pan nearly fell out of the air when he heard this. "What? If you stay here, we'll have great adventures, never grow old...why would you want to return to London?"

"Peter, I'm sorry...I just do."

"I came to save you! And you don't even care about me!" Peter said angrily.

"Peter, that's not it! Please listen to me!" Wendy pleaded.

"Forget it! While you're at it, save yourself too! I'm leaving." Peter furiously flew away from the group and out a small hole in the netting in the ceiling. Wendy sighed and turned her attention to Sora, Corita, Donald and Goofy.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Peter...he gets angry easily."

"We noticed." Sora said, crossing his arms. "What do we do know?"

Goofy thought for a moment, then cried out in triumph, "I know! Why don't we think of something once we reach the deck?"

"What kind of an idea is that?" Donald wondered.

"Well, it's better than nothing." Sora responded. "Wendy, you stay here. Maybe Peter'll change his mind and come back."

"All right." Wendy said softly. The group turned away from her and headed back up the stairs from whence they came.

* * *

As the group made their way onto the deck, the cool ocean currents sprayed in their face, and a taste of salt clung to the wind. Corita smiled.

"Just like home..." She muttered to herself.

"We finally made it onto the deck." Donald said, shivering in the cold wind.

"But now what do we do?" Sora wondered.

"There you are, you rascals!" boomed a voice from ahead of them. Looking forward, the group saw a tall pirate heading towards them. He had a large feathered hat, red clothes, and a hook for a hand. "Friends of Peter Pan, no doubt!"

"Are we his friends?" Sora asked, crossing his arms.

"He sure didn't seem to think so." Goofy said sadly.

"How dare you ignore me, the great Captain Hook!" The pirate roared. "You're plotting against me! In cahoots with Peter Pan, I'd wager!"

"If you say so." Sora muttered. "Either way, you're gonna let us off this ship. Wendy, too."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." Captain Hook said craftily.

"Wait, so you _don't_ want us on your ship, but you _won't_ let us off?" Corita asked. Captain Hook glared at her.

"I'd hold my tounge if I were you! Any trouble, and Wendy swims with the sharks!"

Moving away from where he'd been standing, Hook showed them that Wendy was on a plank behind him, staring at the water below.

"You wouldn't!" Donald cried.

"Believe me, I'd rather not." Hook said deeply. "I need the girl to lure out Peter Pan."

"Then I'll just have to take the bait, you old codfish!"

Peter swooped down from the sky, reaching his arms down to Wendy. He lifted her off of the plank, and held her as he hovered above the wooden ship.

"Miss me?" Peter asked. Hook's face turned beet red as he grabbed his sword.

"Insolent pup! This will be the day you pay for taking me hand!"

Hook ran towards where Peter and Wendy hovered, but Peter Pan merely floated lazily out of the way. Hook nearly fell off the plank, but managed to keep his balance.

"You've made a fool of me for the last time!" He roared as he turned towards the group.

"Uh oh!" Sora cried as his friends began to turn into cards. That could mean only one thing: another battle.

* * *

"Thanks, Peter. We owe you one." Sora said gratefully as they watched Captain Hook skidding across the water at top speeds, pursued by a large crocodile.

"Well, at first I thought I'd let you handle it." Peter explained. "But I couldn't just stand around and do nothing when things got out of control."

"Don't you mean _fly_ around?" Donald asked. Goofy and Corita began to snicker.

"Anyway, Wendy...are you sure about London?" Peter asked.

Wendy nodded. "Peter, I'm sorry, but I really want to go home."

"I was afraid of that..." Peter said sadly. "Everyone grows up, and grownups always forget. First you'll forget what it feels like to be a kid, and then you'll forget about me."

"Peter, I could never forget about you!" Wendy cried.

"Sure, that's what you think now. But when you try to remember me, the memories will be gone. You'll forget...little by little, one memory at a time. Once you're grown up, there won't be a single memory left You'll..."

"Stop." Sora commanded, interrupting Peter's speech. Peter Pan and Wendy looked at him in surprise.

"Memories...even important ones...don't come back to us whenever we want them to. But that doesn't mean the memories are gone. It's more like...like they're sleeping. So when the right thing comes along and wakes the memory up, we can remember it. The memories engraved in our hearts never go away. I'm sure of it."

"He's right, Peter." Wendy said. Corita, Goofy and Donald gave Sora bright grins.

"Never go away, huh? Well...okay. If you say so, then I believe you." Peter said happily.

"Let's go, Peter." Wendy said. Peter nodded, and lifted her into the air.

"It's funny...grownups shouldn't be able to see me. But I feel like you guys may be different." Peter said. "Goodbye, everyone. I can't wait to see what you look like all grown up!"

Peter and Wendy flew off the deck into the night. Sora, Goofy and Donald waved. Meanwhile, Corita was in deep thought.  
_  
"The memories engraved in our hearts never go away...I sure hope you're right, Sora."_

"What's the matter, Tink?" Sora asked. The pixie had flown over to the Keyblade master, and was fluttering up and down again. From the pixie dust that was coming from her, a card floated into his hand, and the pixie flew off after Peter.

"A gift from Peter?" Corita asked as she moved towards them.

"Maybe he isn't such a thoughtless guy after all." Donald said.

"Maybe not." Sora said as he put the card into his pocket. 

Sora53: Just a bit more to the excitment!  
Corita: I hate you, Sora53.  
Riku Fangirls: Just one more chapter till Riku!  
Sora: Corita, I'm sorry Sora53 enjoys victimizing you.  
Corita: I hate you, Sora53.  
Sora53: I know. Anyway, the Riku Fangirls won't be chasing me for long...next chappie is Riku!  
Riku Fangirls: WE WANT RIKU NOW! -throws grape lollipops-  
Sora53: AHH!  
Corita: What the heck. -throws grape lollipops-  
Sora53: E tu, Coritae?  
Joe: STOP THE HISTORY LESSON AND KEEP WRITING! This is getting good...-eats a grape lollipop-


	18. Forgotten

-Sora53: This chappie...pretty much warps the entire story around.  
Fans: Finally! Death and destruction!  
Corita: I REALLY hate you, Sora53.  
Sora53: I know. Plus, Sora sounds kinda mean at the end of the chapter.  
Sora FangirlS: WHAT? You made Sora sound MEAN?  
Sora53: Uh...of course not...AHH! DON'T THROW LOLLIPOPS AT ME!  
Sora Fangirls: For Sora! -starts pelting Sora53 with cherry lollipops-  
Fans: Muahahaha!- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. But I own Corita. DUN DUN DUN READ AND REVIEW! What?

"Can't take a hint, can you? Leave, Sora." growled Riku.

"I'm not leaving until I rescue you and Naminé." Sora answered simply.

After the group had left Neverland, they'd started to head up the next white hallway. At the end of the hallway, however, was Riku, waiting for them. He was glaring at them angrily, watching their every move.

"What makes you think I need rescuing?" Riku asked coldly.

"Think of Kairi." Sora answered. "She wants you to come home, too. Don't you remember?"

"You're the one forgetting. I told YOU to take care of her." Riku answered. "At Kingdom Hearts...when we closed the door to darkness. Forget it, Sora. I'm not going back to those islands, and you can't make me."

"It's not just Kairi!" Sora cried. "What about our other friends?"

"Spare me. I forgot about them ages ago." Riku answered.  
Meanwhile, Goofy was looking around at the two of them with a worried look on his face, and Donald was looking bored with it all. Corita jabbed him with her elbow.

"Donald."

"What?"

"Do you remember my name?"

"Of course I..." Donald whispered back, but he stopped abruptly. "Uh..."

"You honestly don't? You aren't just kidding this time?" During this whispered converation between Donald and Corita, Sora and Riku's continued.

"Listen to what you're saying!" Sora cried.

"Think, Sora. Do you even remember what they all look like?"

"Of course I..." Sora started, but stopped as soon as he'd uttered these words. Selphie, Tidus, Wakka...what _did_ they look like?

"Don't feel bad about it." Riku answered lazily. "That's what this castle does to you. You forget all the useless stuff and remember the important things. Me...I remembered Naminé. That's what's most important to me. I won't leave until I've saved her!"

Riku turned away from them, meaning to leave. Sora spoke up once more, however, before he could.

"Riku...mind if I jog your memory?" Sora asked. He whisked out the Keyblade, and Riku's eyes turned to fury when he looked back at the Keyblade Master.

"Go ahead and try." Riku growled.

* * *

"Grrr...Too bad, Sora. Nothing's coming back to me. Maybe you should try hitting a little harder." Riku taunted after their battle. Sora's eyes flashed, but he lowered his Keyblade rather than striking again.

"No, Riku! Stop! We shouldn't be fighting. Let's go help Naminé!"

"What, together?" Riku asked, shocked. It took a few moments to sink in, but then fury came back to his voice. "You're always doing that. Stay out of this."

"Riku..." Sora muttered as Riku ran off once again. "I won't let you push me away."

"Sora?" Goofy asked. Sora turned back to the group.

"Why... I don't get it. We both want the same thing. We both want to help Naminé. So why are we fighting?"

"Well, the more you fight, the closer you must be." Jiminy said.

"Yeah, I know. But Riku doesn't feel that way, apparantly."

"Have a little faith, Sora! You guys used to be inseparable, right?" Donald said cheerfully. "You,  
Riku, and Kai...Kai..." Donald stuttered, "...And, um, what's-her-name"

"This is awful." Jiminy chirped after several moments of silence. "Our memories are fading fast. We need to hurry, Sora."

"You're probably right." Sora said happily. "After all, the three of us were never apart! Me, Riku...and Naminé."

* * *

_Me, Riku...and Naminé.  
_  
These words echoed inside Corita's mind as she trudged along ahead of the group, up the stairs and into the next hallway. Behind her, her friend's footsteps could be heard clearly in the wide hall, creating a sort of melody. As she continued to walk, she heard a distinct decrease in the level of noise in the hallway. Her friends had stopped walking.

"What's wrong, guys?" Corita asked from 5 feet in front of them. She turned around to face them, and saw that they had strange expressions on their faces.

"Hello? What's wrong?" She asked nervously, even though she already knew the answer in her heart.

There was a long silence, and Corita took a few steps back, unnerved by their silence and strange looks. Finally, Sora spoke, but they were words that stung Corita more than any other words had.

"Who..._are_ you?" He asked in a strange voice. His tone blended boldness and fear at the same time, a tone unusual to Sora.

"What?" Corita asked softly, staring at Sora. Donald stepped forward, next to Sora. "Popped out of nowhere, eh? She must be with that black-robed bunch!"

"What? Are you kidding?" Corita cried.

"I don't think so, Donald. She ain't wearing one of them creepy robes." Goofy responded. Defeated, Donald hung his head slightly, but still watched Corita closely.

"You guys! You can't forget!" Corita cried as the truth sunk in. "Sora! Donald! Goofy! It's me, Corita!"

Sora turned around to face Goofy and Donald. "Do either of you know a Corita?"

Donald shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Sora! I'm your twin sister! Donald! I'm your magic rival! Goofy! We used to get up early and make pancakes together!" Corita yelled.

"Wait...how do you know our names?" Sora asked after he realized that she'd said them.

"I've known you since we were born, Sora! You couldn't have forgotten...you couldn't have..." Corita said, her voice weakening.

"I don't know what's going on here..." Sora said slowly, "But I'm starting to get a feeling that Donald was right."

"What? Oh, I mean, of course I was right." Donald said smugly.

"Sora, no! It's me, Corita! Don't any of you...remember...?"

Sora's eyes flashed angrily, and Corita watched in shocked horror as the Keyblade appeared in his hands.

"I don't know what you're doing in this castle." Sora growled, "But you'd better not get in our way again. I WILL save Naminé, and no one had better get in my way."

Corita looked down at the Keyblade in Sora's hands. She'd seen it many times before, but never before had Sora stood before her with it, ready to strike like he was now.

"Is Naminé really more important?" Corita asked weakly.

"If I remembered Naminé after all this time, she must be important. If you claim to know me and I don't remember you, then Naminé has to be more important. That's all." Sora growled.

Corita felt that her knees could no longer support her; her knees gave way underneath her and she fell to her hands and knees on the ground. For some strange reason, a memory floated to the surface of her mind...Sora, kneeling on the ground as she was know, right after he'd lost the Keyblade in Hollow Bastion. At least then, there had been someone there to comfort him...but there was no one to help her here.

Sora, Donald and Goofy marched past without a backwards glance. However, when they were almost to the next world's door, Sora halted.

"Corita, is it?" Sora asked. Corita's head perked up slightly. "I'd better not see you again. If I do, don't expect me to be very forgiving."

Corita's mind struggled to swallow this statement. They had forgotten her...completely forgotten...then, she remembered what Sora had said only a few minutes ago. Me, Riku...and Naminé.

"Kairi." Corita choked, causing the group ahead of her to swirl around in their usual manner. "The one most important to you...her name is Kairi. You may not believe me..." She said, looking up, "But it's the truth."  
Sora looked down at Corita once more, a strange look on his face. Corita knew he didn't believe her, but it didn't matter...

Sora turned to the door and held up another World Card. He, Donald, and Goofy vanished, leaving behind a part of their past that, while forgotten, was more important then they could imagine. This part of their past crawled to the wall and rested against it, leaning her back against the smooth whiteness and burying her face in her knees, shielding her eyes from the brightness of the room. The hall was silent for a few moments, and a few tears began to run down Corita's cheeks. Rarely had she ever cried back on the islands, but Sora's final words had cut deeper than any weapon could've ever hurt her.

She reached into her pocket and gently tugged out her Thalassa Shell. Holding it close to her, she let the tears flow freely from her eyes. What would she do know? She had nowhere to go...and no one to go to.

After several minutes of silence in the hall except for her own soft sobs, Corita heard a voice. The most unwelcoming voice she could imagine. The last thing she wanted to hear right after she'd been abandoned by her brother and friends, and was crying alone in the hall, clutching a small blue seashell.

"Enjoying your stay in Castle Oblivion?"

The voice sent shivers down Corita's back, and she lifted her head slightly, instantly full of caution. Still not looking up at the figure, she hastily wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

"Larxene." Corita growled softly.

Sora53: I belive this calls for a world record amount of dun dun duns.  
Joe: I can't believe you're so cruel.  
Corita: -breaks out cherry/grape lollipop weilding power- FEEL MY WRATH, SORA53!  
Sora53: Oh crud. -runs away screaming like a sissy-  
Corita: YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!  
Riku Fangirls: Whawhawhat's happened to Riku? -sob-  
Sora Fangirls: whawhawhat? How could Sora forget Corita AND Kairi? YOU'LL PAY, SORA53!  
Sora53: Great. Now everyone hates me. -runs away crying- It'll be a good ficcy, I promise! Read the title! _RHAPSODY_...-runs away-  
Joe: -rereads title- Oh, now I get it! -


	19. The Taunt Larxene Game

-Sora53: Yah, this chapter and the next are probably just gonna be Corita-based joy.  
Joe: WH00T! -waves his 'Proud Corita Fanboy' flag-  
Corita: You're the ONLY Corita fanboy!  
Sora/Riku Fangirls: NO SORA...OR RIKU?  
Sora53: Uh...  
Sora/Riku Fangirls: ATTACK!  
Naminé: Fwee! You learn lots about me in this chappie!  
Fans: But it's all bad stuff.  
Naminé: YOU'RE SO MEAN! 

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Corita and the craziness of my own little world...

"Although, since they forgot about you..." Larxene continued, pacing up and down the hall 20 feet in front of where Corita sat, "You must not have been very important."

"Shut up." Corita muttered, looking away.

"Did that hurt? The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Don't you have a Keyblade Master to stalk?" Corita growled, standing up cautiously, now not looking away from Larxene.

"Not my job right now." Larxene answered lazily. She stopped pacing, halting right before Corita. "Right now, I have a different task."

"What?" Corita asked, lowering her guard for a second.

"You think all I do is stalk Sora?" Larxene wondered aloud.

"Pretty much."

"Hmmph."

Larxene's cold attitude enraged Corita, who had already been pushed to the limit today. "Larxene, you have some explaining to do!" She roared, clenching her fists in fury.

"Hmm, I do, do I?"

"Why have they forgotten me? How COULD they forget me? What have you done to him?"

Larxene's face spread into a grin, and her cold eyes watched Corita's carefully. "I can honestly say that_ I_ haven't done anything to him"

"You're lying! Why was he forgetting things, yet remembering them? Why aren't I?"

"That's the reason why I'm here." Larxene explained cooly.

"What are you talking about now?" Corita roared.

"You really are oblivious, aren't you? Right now, I'm not after Sora. Right now..." Larxene said, moving closer towards Corita, "I'm after you."

"Me? Yeah, right. What would you want with little princess Corita?" Corita growled.

"Trust me, I don't want anything to do with you. It's Vexen who wants to see you."

"What, is he another member of your little cult? Does HE have a stupid black robe, too?"

"Listen, Princess." Larxene growled, her fake-sweet voice changing suddenly to her cold, cruel voice, "I was told to bring you back with me. We can do it the easy way...or the hard way."

After this statement, Larxene's razor-sharp knives appeared, and Corita felt the hair on her neck stand on end as the air was charged with electricity. Corita felt a prick of nervousness; could she really defeat Larxene in battle?

Corita didn't feel much like battling; in fact, battling was one of the last things she wanted to do right now. Instead, she thought she'd try something fun: The Taunt Larxene Game.

"Hey, Larxene!" Corita called. "How'd you get stuck doing some other guy's errands? Are you the lowest member of your cult, or do you just like to do other people's dirty work?"

"What!" Larxene screeched, causing the whole hallway to shake.

"Seriously! Are you the bottom rung on the ladder, or do you just like getting bossed around by other people?"

"You...you...you'll pay for that!" Larxene roared, rushing towards Corita. Corita had just enough time to jump out of the way, but Larxene's rushed attack caused her to drop something in her shock.

"Well, well." Larxene muttered silkily, reaching down after a moment and scooping up Corita's Thalassa Shell. Corita now stood about 3 feet to her side, watching her in horror.  
"What's this? A pretty little seashell?"

"Get your filthy hands off it." Corita growled.

Larxene ignored her, and tossed the shell up and down in her hands for a little while.

"You know...I didn't get to shatter Sora's little good luck charm..." Larxene said, "But this could be the next best thing, hmm?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Larxene saw a bright blast of fire shoot out of the staff Corita had grabbed instants before. Almost lazily, Larxene teleported away, and Corita was left looking around the hallway wildly.

"Larxene! Where did you go!" Corita roared. Larxene reappeared 15 feet ahead of the enraged Healer. She looked at the shining blue shell and grinned. Corita finally snapped, and sent several blasts of ice towards Larxene. Larxene avoided them easily, and gave a short laugh.

"Do you even remember how to use that thing?" She asked, looking down at Corita's staff. "You've just been relying on Sora..."

"Don't make fun of Sora!" Corita roared, and lept to the side, narrowly avoiding a lighting strike from Larxene.

"It's too bad you couldn't just come easily." Larxene sighed. "Now I'm going to have to grind you into a pulp."

"Just try it!"

"Okay." Larxene said in an almost bored tone. She shot several bolts of lighting towards Corita, and Corita shot multiple blizzard spells back. Both were struck with each others spells, and they staggered backwards slightly.

"What's wrong, Larxene?" Corita asked sweetly. "Haven't quite mastered how to use anything other than a thunder spell? Not surprising, considering you're the bottom rung of the ladder..."

Larxene lazily shot another thunder spell at Corita, and watched as Corita recovered from the blow after a few moments.

"Here, catch!" Larxene hissed, tossing Corita's shell into the air. Corita's head jerked into the air as she watched it sail past her. Running towards where it was going to land, Corita stretched out her arms, closing her hands around the shell and landing on the ground herself.

As Corita carefully put the shell back into her pocket, Larxene took this opportunity to blast tons of thunder-based spells at Corita. Corita grimaced and reached for her staff, and sent back a fire spell, and cast aero and cure on herself.

"What's wrong, Larxene?" Corita panted. "Running out of clever ideas?"

"If I were you, I'd be asking myself that." Larxene taunted. "Where will you go if you're alone in the castle?"

"Shut up."

"Have I touched a nerve?"

"SHUT UP!"

In the instant that Corita was yelling in fury, Larxene had teleported away from where she stood and re-appeared right behind Corita. She reached out and grabbed the young Healer's arm, and before Corita could start yelling and stomping on her foot like a maniac, she teleported them both away.

* * *

"Took you long enough." Axel remarked as Larxene teleported into the room, along with Corita. 

"LET ME GO BEFORE I START YELLING!" Corita yelled.

"...You already are." Axel said.

"SHUT UP!"

"Vexen had better appreciate this little nightmare." Larxene hissed.

"What? You're calling _me_ a nightmare?"

"Where is Vexen, anyway?" Larxene asked. "I take time out of my life for him, and he isn't even here?"

"He said he'd be back soon."

"I'm sure he will be." Larxene said icily. "What should I do with her?" she asked, nodding towards Corita, who was still struggling to get out of Larxene's tight grip.

"Let her go. She can't leave as long as we're here."

Larxene sighed, and let go of Corita's arm - the moment Corita tugged away the hardest. Corita went crashing to the floor, much to the amusement of Axel and Larxene.

Corita's cheeks burned with humiliation and rage as she got off of the floor, brushing her tufted hair out of her face. She stalked away from the two black-robed figures and rested against the wall.  
As she leaned her back against the white wall (everything was starting to look the same in this castle...) she noticed something strange. A teenage girl about her age with blonde hair slung over one shoulder. She was sitting in a chair, facing away from where Axel and Larxene stood, gazing into the crystal orb in the center of the room. She was hanging her head, as if she were very sad or depressed.  
_  
"The bad guys are holding her deep within the castle. And you, the hero, have to go save her."_

Cautiously, Corita moved towards the girl, who didn't look much like she wanted company. However, Corita needed to know...

"Naminé?" Corita whispered to her. The girl's head instantly snapped up, as if she were coming out  
of some sort of trance.

"Corita?" She whispered back, even though Axel and Larxene were already watching them.

"What...you remember my name?" Corita asked, shocked. Naminé looked up at her, a sad look in her eyes.

"I...can't say that I remember it. I just know it. Everyone in this castle does."

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"I...can't tell you." Naminé said, sensing the gaze of the two robed figures.

"Go ahead, Naminé." Axel called out. "It won't matter soon, anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Corita cried, turning away from Naminé to face Axel.

"It's nothing." Naminé said quickly.

"Why, Naminé?" Corita asked, turning back to her. "Why did you leave the islands?"

"I was never on the islands." Naminé answered sadly, hanging her head again.

"What? So why did Sora keep remembering things about you?"

"He wasn't remembering anything. I was making him."

"What are you talking about?" Corita wondered. Naminé sighed sadly.

"Messing with people's memories is about all she's good at." Larxene said coldly. "She steps into people's hearts and rearranges their memory. If she wants, she can even draw new memories of things that never happened. The girl your brother has been dying to protect...is a manipulative witch who shackles people's hearts with phony memories!"

"I took the people and memories in Sora's heart...and little by little replaced them with false memories that I made." Naminé muttered sadly. "But you...I couldn't touch your heart. That's why I had to make Sora forget you...if he hadn't, you'd -"

"You'd just go blabbing about everything, making it difficult for Naminé. Just like you wouldn't shut up about Hollow Bastion, or Kairi for that matter." Larxene growled.

Corita's head was buzzing with countless thoughts. Nothing was clicking, once again...

"Why...couldn't you affect me?" Corita asked as she turned back to Naminé, dazed.

"Because of your pure heart, Princess." echoed a deeper, cruel voice behind her.

"GAH! DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Corita roared as she whirled around. She had to catch the back of Naminé's chair to avoid falling over once again. In front of her stood another black robed figure, looking down at her with interest.

Sora53: Yarr, more dun dun duns please.  
Corita: I REFUSE!  
Sora53: Why? It only gets better...-evil grin- And don't fear, you'll all get your plot-following-yet-original-ficciness back in a few chapters. Besides, you're just mad because you lost to Larxene.  
Corita: Stop it! -sob-  
Fans: Oh great.  
Sora53: Ya, in case you haven't guessed, this ficcy's gonna be a tad darker than Twin Hearts...but not so much so that it takes away from the 'Oh boy, a sequel! I hope it lives up to the original!' factor.  
Naminé: Fwee! Now you all know the truth about me! Now I can continue to be evil! -evil grin-  
Everyone: O.o RUN!  
Naminé: GET BACK HERE, SLAVES! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!-


	20. Promises and Memories

-Sora53: Ha! A double whammy in this chapter!  
Fans: Oh no.  
Corita: GAHHHHHHHHHHH!  
Sora: Hahahahaha!  
Sora53: Yesh, this is where the next part of our little rhapsody begins. Hence the name.  
Joe: NOW I GET IT!  
Riku Fangirls: RIKU IN THIS CHAPPIE?  
Sora53: Uh huh.  
Riku Fangirls: -huggles Sora53-  
Sora53: AHHH!- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own Corita and only Corita. Haha.

"Ha, I was right." Corita remarked, surveying the new stranger. "He IS another member of your little club."

"Vexen! Took you long enough." Larxene sighed.

"I was looking into something." Vexen responded cooly, turning away from Corita and Naminé.

"Ah, that's right. Looks like your little _toy_ isn't taking orders anymore after all." Larxene taunted.

"Now Larxene... Shouldn't we give Vexen the benefit of the doubt?" Axel said. "Riku could be hiding as part of some elaborate plan to lure Sora deeper into the castle."

"Oh, of course. Because no experiment of yours could go wrong. I guess I'm just used to you and your research being more funny than formidable"

"What are you talking about?" Corita asked. "Riku? Experiment?"

"That is not for you to know." Vexen hissed.

"Excuse me?" Corita snapped, causing Axel, Larxene and Naminé to look at her in shock. She stepped out in front of Vexen, and glared up at him with hatred in her eyes.  
"You and your little _minion_ over there kidnap me, and you don't tell me what's going on?"

"MINION?" Larxene hissed, but Vexen held up a hand to silence her.

"Princess, surely you are aware of your powers." Vexen said calmly. "The power of a pure heart, power only someone like you could wield. As soon as you entered this castle, I knew I had to get my hands on you."

Vexen's unwavering calm disturbed Corita. Usually when she went crazy in front of the black-robed bunch, they got angry and Sora took care of them in battle. But now, Vexen was remaining completely mellow.

"What? Why?"

"Haha, Vexie's come up with a new experiment, after his other one _failed_." Larxene giggled.

"Hold your tounge!" Vexen hissed.

"Aww, are you sulking? Ha ha, you are so half-baked." Larxene said as she and Axel moved towards the group.

"You're hardly one to talk, you conniving little —"

"That will do." echoed a new voice through the room. Appearing in the room just as the others did, a hooded figure moved towards where the gaggle of robes and teenage girls were.

"Marluxia!" Vexen cried, his voice full of fear and hatred. Corita gave a silent sigh; how many of these robed figures were there?

"Your project has failed, Vexen. Do not disappoint us again." Marluxia hissed, removing his hood. Small spikes of tannish hair, a darker color than Vexen's long tan hair, jutted out from his head. His eyes were filled with a deep darkness, eyes that were watched by Vexen with rage.

"Disappoint _you_?" Vexen spat. "I am No. 4, No.11, and I will not stand for your snide remarks!"  
_  
"Numbers? Project?"_ Corita thought desperately.

"Yes, you will. This castle and the girl Naminé have been entrusted to ME. Defy me, and you defy the Organization."

"This is absurd." Vexen growled.

"In the name of the Organization, I pronounce your project a failure. This lapse must be reported to the Superior."

"No..." Vexen whispered, desperation in his voice. "Please, don't! I beg of you! Leave him out of this!"  
_  
"Haha, Mr. Calm is terrified. That's funny."_ Corita thought with a grin as she stood by the hooded group and Naminé.

"I will, but under one condition." Marluxia responded.

"What?"

"You must eliminate Sora personally."

"Eliminate him? Why?"

"Just do it."

After this, Marluxia turned away and vanished. Vexen hung his head in defeat.

"You have to do it, you know. You don't have a choice." Axel said. Vexen merely nodded.

"You think I'm just gonna let you do that?" Corita cried.

"You don't have a choice, either." Vexen responded.

"Choice in what?"

Vexen turned to face Corita, whose normally calm, determined, or happy face was suddenly filled with fear. Vexen's eyes filled with a strange emotion as well, and he reached down to grab her arm.

"Come, Princess." He said.

"Hey, let me go! What's going on! Don't make me start stomping on your feet!"

Vexen turned his head to face Larxene and Axel. "I won't be back for a while. After this, I'm off to deal with Sora. Watch over this latest experiment for me while I'm gone."  
_  
"Experiment?"_ Corita cried. "Hey, let me go!"

The last thing Corita saw as she was teleported out of the room was Axel watching her with a strange expression, Naminé hanging her head in sadness, and Larxene's taunting grin. Corita was filled with rage, but there was nothing she could do.

* * *

"The tenth floor already... We've come a long way." Donald sighed as they continued up the stairs.

"We've also lost ten floors worth of memories." Jiminy sighed. "We could be forgetting something really important and not realize it..."

"Maybe we should turn back." Goofy suggested.

"No, I can't do that. That would be breaking my promise." Sora said softly.

"Promise? What promise?" Jiminy asked.

"When we were little, I made a promise to Naminé." Sora explained happily. "I told her I'd always keep here safe, no matter what. But I didn't remember until I started forgetting everything else. I can't believe I forgot something that important! But I can still make up for it now. From now on, I'm keeping my promise."

"Gawrsh, if you remembered something like that, nothing we could be forgetting could be nearly as important." Goofy said happily.

"Yeah..." Sora said.

"Well, let's keep going! We've gotta rescue Nahmeenay!" Goofy chortled.

"Goofy, it's not 'Nahmeenay'...just Naminé. One solid word." Sora responded.

"Oh...right then! Onward!"

* * *

Corita's tiny head jerked up, away from the tall coconut tree. The sun had almost set completely; had she fallen asleep? Realizing that she needed to be home before the islands were dark entirely, she stood up wearily and brushed herself off. The waves could be heard hitting the island below, so far below...

As Corita moved towards the small path leading to the 'exit' to her special place, the semi-darkness disoriented her sleepy eyes. She moved closer towards the edge...

...and slipped on a small pile of rocks.

Tumbling backwards, Corita's frail arms moved ahead of her, instinctively reaching for the edge. Her small figure fell off the edge of the cliff, and she gripped this edge with all her might.

"HELP!" Corita cried as some rocks and dirt fell beneath her into the sea. She was so high up...every attempt to pull herself back onto the cliff just caused her grip to loosen and more rocks to fall into the sea below.

Corita cried for help once again, and peered beneath her. Peaceful ocean waves were suddenly violent to the frightened child, a beautiful sunset suddenly violently bloody. It must've been hundreds of feet to the water below.

"Hold on!" rang a young voice, and a small hand reached down to meet Corita's. Peering over the edge of the cliff were a pair of teal eyes, looking down at her with fear.

"Riku! Help!" Corita cried. Riku nodded, and gripped Corita's hand with both of his own. With all of his strength, he yanked Corita upward, ignoring the rocks and dirt that threatened to give way underneath him.

After a few minute's struggle that seemed like an eternity, Riku managed to pull Corita to safely.  
Panting heavily, Riku sat atop the cliff along with Corita. After catching her breath, Corita smiled at Riku brightly.

"Riku...thank you." Corita said happily.

"No big deal." Riku said, blushing.

Corita reached over and gave Riku a tiny hug, an innocent, pure hug from one child to another. "If you're ever in danger, I'll come save you. I promise."

"Ha, when would I ever need saving?"

"If you were being ambushed by coconuts thrown by Sora."

"Well, then I may need some help."

They shared a small laugh, and stood up.

"We should get going. Our parents will kill us if we're late...again." Riku said cooly, moving towards the path.

"Yeah..." Corita responded. She peered over the edge of the cliff after Riku had left, and a strong shiver went through her back. It was so high...she really could've died...

Corita's mind came back from the peaceful world of sleep so suddenly that she was surprised she'd even gotten to sleep in the first place. Coughing, Corita looked down at herself. Vexen hadn't attached any extra limbs to her, or cut her in half, so she assumed she was okay.

Surveying her surroundings, she realized that she was in a room the same size as the one she'd met Naminé in, but there was something darker about this place, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She was sitting, propped up against the wall. Thinking back, the last thing she remembered was Larxene's face, grinning at her as she was teleported away.

Coughing again, she realized that staying here probably wasn't the best idea. Trying to get up, she found her legs unable to support themselves; she crashed to the floor for the second time.  
Grumbling, she moved back to where she'd been previously, brooding on her situation.

Then it hit her.

Something...tasted funny...

Sora53: DUN DUN DUN! I love that.  
Corita: Heights! NOW I get it!  
Sora: Haha, you had to be saved by RIKU?  
Corita: Shut up. Sora53, I hate you.  
Sora53: Yesh well, if our wonderful fans/reviewer people out there are confused, GOOD! All will be explained in the next chapter.  
Fans: Good. WE'RE SO CONFUSED!  
Riku Fangirls: Haha, Corita, Riku saved your life!  
Corita: What? O.o-


	21. Vexen's new experiment

-Sora53: Yarr, this chapter is long, and you learn LOTS!  
Corita: Grr.  
Sora: I APPEAR!  
Sora Fangirls: -all melt-  
Riku: I APPEAR MORE THAN SORA!  
Riku Fangirls: -wild applause-  
Joe: Corita, I'll still love you no matter what Vexen did you you, my sweet little pure-hearted princess.  
Corita: O.o Don't call me that!  
Sora: Yeah, you can't call her that anymore, because Vexen...  
Sora53: SHUT UP, SORA!- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM, but I own Corita and have the right to torture her in any way I desire MUAHAHAHA

"Tsk, tsk. Sleeping, are we?"

Corita feebly opened her sleepy eyes to the same unwelcome sight: Larxene.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to stalk me?" Corita growled, still tired after being so rudely awakened by someone so unwanted.

"Hehe, I imagine you would be tired, though." Larxene said lazily.

"Why?...What happened?" Corita asked, opening her eyes wider now.

"I don't know...I just hate spoiling things..."

"Tell me!"

"Okay, okay. It'll kill you to hear this...but I can live with that. When Vexen first learned about your arrival in the castle, he became very...eccentric." Larxene responded. "He couldn't wait to get his hands on you."

"Why?"

"You don't know? Vexen is a scientist. Not a very good one, but a scientist nonetheless. Anyway, one of his particularly favorite methods of investigation...is through experimentation."

This took a moment for Corita to take in. So much had happened at once that she was having trouble understanding everything, but she tried her hardest.

"What did Vexen do to me?" Corita grumbled.

"Vexen thought about what to do for a long time. It was really rather _boring_, seeing him standing in front of our prized orb, watching you and your hard-headed brother march through the castle as if nothing was going on."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Since Naminé's magic didn't affect your heart, it gave Vexen an idea. A brilliant idea, I must say. Bundled in this package was the fact that Naminé made Sora forget you. Vexen then had me bring you to him to try out his experiment."

"Yet my question remains remarkably unanswered."

"Vexen wanted to know what happened when a pure heart was steeped in darkness."

Corita blinked. She blinked again. A few more times. Larxene smiled and blinked back.

"Eye problem, my dear _Princess_?" Larxene asked sweetly, putting particular emphasis on the word, 'princess.'

"Oh, I see." Corita said, grinning. "This is all some stupid trick. You're just trying to trick me into something stupid like that so you have an easier shot at my brother."

"Ha, Princess Corita is ignoring reality, as _usual_..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you hadn't ignored the fact that Sora was forgetting and remembering things, then you could've just turned them all around and pushed them out of Castle Oblivion...that is, before he remembered Naminé."

"You're saying this is all _my_ fault?"

"I guess it depends on the way you look at it. But yeah, that's what I'm saying."

Corita tried to stand up again, and came very close to falling over in front of Larxene once again. She managed to stay up, though, and she headed for the exit to the room.

"Don't worry." Larxene called. "Axel and I'll watch over Vexie's little experiment...see you later, little princess Corita!"

Corita had a strong urge to turn around and shoot several blasts of fire at Larxene's nasty grinning face, but she decided against it. She wasn't going to let Larxene's taunting lies affect her anymore. Besides that, it was taking all her strength to keep walking. She didn't think challenging Larxene right after being experimented on was a very good idea.

* * *

"Who are you?" Sora growled as he stood ready for battle alongside Goofy and Donald.

"That's no way to greet a stranger, Sora." responded the figure will long, tan hair. "I am Vexen. I've come to collect your debt."

"Did you lend him some of our munny?" Goofy asked.

"Of course not! I don't owe him anything!" Sora answered.

"Oh, but you do." Vexen called out. "You owe me for reuniting you with your former friend."

"Former friend? You don't mean..."

"Yes, I am the one who brought Riku to you."

A strange silence rung out through the hall. Sora's head was once again buzzing with thoughts. He'd brought Riku to him, so.  
"You're the one who's been controlling him! What have you done to him?" Sora cried angrily.

Vexen remained calm, unwavering strength in his eyes. "I see no need to tell you. Why trouble you in your final moments?"

* * *

Corita's strength was returning, and she moved out into another brightly lit hallway. The light hurt her eyes; compared to the previous room, this hall was brighter than the sun. Squinting to let her eyes adjust, Corita saw someone familiar standing at the end of the hallway. 

"Riku!" She cried, then quickly covered her mouth. Riku had forgotten about her, forgotten about her friendship.

Riku turned around, his clothes of darkness swishing with him. He spotted Corita at the end of the hallway, and a shocked expression crossed his face.

"You're...Corita, right?" He said, and Corita nodded. "You remember me! Thank goodness!" Corita sighed, thankful. She moved closer to Riku, but he took a step backwards and grabbed his sword, holding it above his head.

"Stay back!" He cried, and Corita watched him in silent horror.

"Riku...you really have forgotten about me, too..." She said sadly.

"I haven't forgotten. You're just trying to hurt Naminé, just like your hard-headed brother!"

"First of all, I'm not out to hurt Naminé, and second, why does EVERYONE think Sora's hard-headed?"

"Yeah right. Like I'm gonna fall for your cheap tricks!"

Riku ran forward with his sword, ready to slash Corita with it. Corita could do nothing but grasp her staff to try to protect herself, but he was too fast...

Just then, a figure went sailing over Corita's head, landing in front of her and defending against Riku's attack with a loud BANG. Opening her eyes, Corita was shocked to see more silver hair...

* * *

"Haha, excellent. As expected, you don't die so easily." Vexen grinned, eyeing the Keyblade Master carefully.

"As if I'd ever lose to you!" Sora growled.

"You'll let have your chance." Vexen said softly. "As we fought, I delved deep into your memory...and found this."  
Vexen held up another card, and smiled when he saw Sora's confused expression.

"This is a card crafted from memories locked in the other side of your heart." Vexen explained as if this was entirely normal. "If you want to fight me for real, step into the world in this card."

Vexen threw the card at Sora, who caught it easily. After being thrown cards for a while, it gets much easier to catch them when thrown at high speeds.

"Wait!" Sora cried, but Vexen vanished before Sora could question him. Sora looked down at the card, and an unfamiliar world greeted his eyes. "'Other side'? What's he talking about?"

* * *

"We all knew Vexen was crazy, but now he's really lost it." Larxene said impatiently. "What now, Axel? The show's over if Sora finds out about the other side."

Axel sighed and crossed his arms, deep in thought for a moment. "If Sora passes through without catching on, we can patch things up later...but if not..."

"Let Naminé deal with this." Marluxia responded, stealing a glance at Naminé. "In the meantime...Axel, you know what to do."

"No, I don't." Axel said lazily. "Maybe you could spell it out for me."

"Rid us of our traitor."

"Done. There's no taking that order back later." Axel said smoothly. He vanished, leaving Larxene, Naminé, and Marluxia behind.

* * *

"You fake! Your time is up!" Riku 1 growled.

Riku 2, who was defending Corita (who had an extremely confused expression on her face) gave a short laugh. "You're calling _me _a fake?"

Riku 1 yanked his sword away, and ran up the stairs, away from Corita and the other Riku. Corita blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes to make sure she'd really seen what she'd just seen. Riku turned around to face her, putting his sword away nimbly.

"You...there...2?" Corita stuttered, looking at Riku, then looking at the stairs behind him. "Riku couldn't be here...he was closed behind the door to darkness..."

"_I_ couldn't be here?" Riku growled. "Corita couldn't be here...she was with Sora when we closed the door..."

Anger flared inside Corita. "You're saying I'm a _fake_?"

"I'm saying it's possible." Riku answered cooly. "If you're really Corita, then tell me: what was my score against Sora back on the Destiny Islands?"

"47 to 1; he only won once because a coconut fell on your foot." Corita answered almost instantly. "What about you? What were we planning on the islands?"

"To build a raft to get off those rocks. What happened when we reunited in Traverse Town?"

"Sora and I tried to get you to go with us, but Donald was acting like an idiot. Believe me yet?"

Corita then noticed that Riku was doing something strange.

"Uhh...Riku?" Corita asked nervously. "Why are you smelling the air?"

Riku stopped what he was doing and looked at Corita with a look of disbelief in his eyes. "You can't be Corita."

"What? Why not!" Corita roared, causing Riku to flinch.

"Because," He said after he'd recovered, "you reek of darkness."

* * *

"Where are we, Sora?" Goofy asked. Sora shook his head.

"I don't know..." Sora muttered, looking around the twilit town they had appeared in.

"That can't be!" Donald cried. "Up until now, we've only been to the places in Sora's memory!"

"Maybe so, but I definitely don't remember this."

"Maybe you forgot this town just like the other stuff." Jiminy said.

"This is terrible. Our memories are practically gone." Goofy said sadly.

"We'll be fine." Sora said firmly. "See, look at this."

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out his small, star-shaped charm. The yellow paupu-shaped charm hung from Sora's hand, and he gazed at it fondly.

"Naminé's good luck charm!"

"There's a special memory that goes with this. One night, when Naminé and I were little, there was this meteor shower. Naminé started crying. She said, 'What if a shooting star hits the island?' So I said, 'If a shooting star comes this way, I'll hit it right back into outer space!' I was swinging this toy sword around the whole time. Naminé just smiled and said 'Thanks.' And then she gave me this."

"Wow, that's really nice!" Goofy said cheerfully.

"Yeah. So I promised her... 'From now on, I'll bring you good luck. I'll keep you safe.' I really let her down..."

* * *

Just about everything that had happened within the short time of exiting Neverland came crashing down upon Corita at that moment. She felt weak and powerless, but she mainly just wanted to kick something. So, she settled for the wall.

"OW!" She howled as her foot bounced off the hard walls as Riku watched her with interest.

"So, did Vexen create you?" Riku asked as she hopped up and down on one foot in pain.

"What...do you mean by that?" Corita grimaced.

"Vexen created a replica of me. One who accepts the darkness." Riku said grimly. "Since you're a Corita who accepts the darkness, Vexen must've created you, too."

"ARE YOU STUPID?" Corita roared. "I AM CORITA!"

"You certainly have her attitude."

"GAH!"

Riku started to laugh as Corita watched him in fury.

"What's your excuse, Riku? What's up with the darkness in _your_ heart?"

Riku stopped laughing very quickly, and anger flashed in his eyes. Corita became nervous; obviously Riku was touchy about the subject.

"Okay, Real Corita. Tell me your story."

Corita sighed. "It's a long one."

* * *

"...and then, Vexen, he..." Corita continued, but suddenly found it hard to continue. She'd told Riku everything he didn't already know: about Castle Oblivion, how Sora had forgotten her, and she'd been kidnapped...again. But now, it was suddenly hard to continue. Riku listened without saying a word.

"He...he...he..."

"I'm guessing it had to do with darkness?"

"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE THEM!" Corita cried, kicking the wall once again. As she hopped up and down in pain once again, Riku nodded.

"Okay. Corita couldn't invent such a detailed story...I believe you."

"You believe me? Hey...what's that comment supposed to mean?"

"Like I said before, Vexen created a model of what they think I'm supposed to be." Riku said grimly. "One who accepts the darkness. If he could do that, he could probably add darkness to a heart, too."

"'Add darkness to a heart'? That sounds sweet, Riku, thanks." Corita said grimly.

"You can't deny it. I can smell the darkness in you."

"What? _Smell_?"

"Well, I guess you could say that...scent, reading auras, sensing an individual, whatever the heck you want to call it." Riku sighed.

"Great. 'Join the darkness, you get your own scent and power over the Heartless!'"

"That's pretty much all it has to offer."

"Oh, that reminds me..." Corita said softly. "I owe you something."

Corita walked over to Riku, and smacked him in the head.

"Ow! Whadja do that for?"

"THAT's for joining the darkness!"

"OW! Why'dja do it again?"

"THAT's for kidnapping me! TWICE!"

"OWWW! THAT REALLY HURTS!"

"THAT'S FOR LETTING YOURSELF GET POSSESSED BY ANSEM!"

"I GET IT!" Riku cried. "What about you? You let yourself get experimented on by Vexen! Now look at you: you're just like me!"

"I AM NOT JUST LIKE YOU!"

"You want to fight the darkness, right?"

Corita stopped her ranting and looked at Riku, stunned. "First you want me and Sora to join the darkness, now you want me to help you fight it?"

"Would you rather sit there as Vexen's good little experiment and let the darkness devour your heart?"

"You've got me there."

"Let's go, then."

Riku held out a gloved hand to Corita. She'd seen this before, but he'd once been tempting her into joining the darkness. Now, he held his hand out to have her fight it.

"Let's go." Corita said firmly, taking his hand. "I'm not just gonna sit here and let this nasty darkness sit in my heart. I have a debt to pay back to Vexen and Larxene."

Sora53: I TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE DARKER!  
Fans: FINALLY! SOME DARKNESS!  
Riku Fangirls: O.o Corita and Riku? CORITA, YOU'D BETTER NOT GET ANY IDEAS!  
Corita: Yeah, right. He's just a silver-haired darkness loving freak.  
Joe: But you have darkness in your heart now, too...I STILL LOVE YOU!  
Corita: It's not my fault!  
Naminé: You beat Riku up!  
Riku Fangirls: YEAH! GET HER!  
Corita: None of this is my fault! -runs away screaming-  
Sora: Yeah, it's Naminé's!  
Naminé: Uh...what's your point?  
Sora53: I've been dropping SO many hints about something like this happening...reread a bit and see if you can find any Besides, I thought this might shake things up a bit...but you'll still get the storyline of CoM and KH2...no matter what.  
Fans: GOOD!-


	22. Vexen's downfall

-Sora53: All is explained.  
Fans: GOOD!  
Sora53: Well, not all.  
Fans: DARN YOU!  
Corita: I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!  
Joe: Why?  
Corita: Because...something GOOD HAPPENS! I LOVE YOU, AXEL! -hugs Axel-  
Axel: What do you want from me?- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own Corita, and that's getting REALLY old.

"You sure seem carefree about this." Riku commented as the two walked up the hallway.

Corita sighed. "I'm probably just in denial. Odds are I'll be sobbing about it in 20 minutes. What about you? Are you _sure_ you're the real Riku?"

"I'm pretty positive." Riku said softly. "So, what happened to you? Did you just randomly appear in Castle Oblivion?"

"Hmm...yeah, pretty much. Just kinda woke up here."

"That's weird...what's been going on? You know, after we closed that oversized door?"

"Fighting the darkness in my heart and defeating the dark beings from my memory in the castle, all the while fending off Ansem and that stupid replica of me. You?"

"Nothing important..."

Corita eyed Riku carefully. After seeing two Rikus at once, she was still a little skeptical. After all, if they both thought they were the real Riku, either one could be real, right? On the other hand, the real Riku wouldn't attack her...unless Naminé'd  
gotten to him...

"Riku, have you heard of someone named Naminé?"

"Huh?" Riku said, startled by the sudden question. "No, why?"

"Just wondering. I guess you are real, after all."

"NOW you realize I'm real. Thanks."

"Well, here's how I figure it. From what I know about Naminé..."

"Who IS this Naminé person?"

"Be quiet; I'm ranting. Naminé's been messing with my brother's memories so the cult of robed people can get their paws on him."

"Cult of robed people?"

"I'm still ranting. I don't know why they want him, but they've been messing with his memories so he'd be more obsessed with finding Naminé so he'd stay in the castle. Naminé's been messing with Sora, Donald, AND Goofy's memories, but she couldn't affect me because I'm a Princess of Heart. So, instead, they had Naminé make Sora, Donald, and Goofy forget me so they'd abandon me...that way, they'd have a clearer shot at getting Sora without me dragging him down with the truth."

"...you're going to be sobbing in about 5 minutes, aren't you?"

"Probably. Anyway, that crazy scientist Vexen MUST'VE created a replica of you, because I remember him and other members of their cult taking about one of Vexen's other experiments. Not to mention there were two of you here a few minutes ago. Anyway, he wanted to do an experiment on me because of my pure heart, and the others let him because there would be no other use for me anyway. So he steeped my heart in darkness, and I found you, and now I'm ranting and I'm about to fall over from lack of oxygen."

After this, Corita truly came close to falling over; she probably would've if Riku hadn't caught her shoulder.

"So, all that means that you believe that I'm the real Riku?" He asked hopefully.

"Naminé screwed up Sora's memories, so she probably helped create that stupid replica's memories, too. So, she probably made the replica think he was real to keep Sora in the castle."

"Thank goodness." He said with a smile. Corita looked at him with a confused look.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been alone for a long time. I've gone through a lot of worlds, fighting the darkness and fighting Ansem."

"Ansem? I thought we killed him!"

"You may have, but Ansem's shadow nests within my heart." Riku said moodily. "I've been trying to fight the darkness in my heart, and it would be a lot easier if he didn't keep trying to drag me back into it."

"All alone? That's rough..." Corita said sympathetically, putting her hand on his shoulder. Then it hit her.

"ALONE! WHAT HAPPENED TO KING MICKEY?"

Riku flinched as Corita yelled in his face, and then she gave a small smile.

"Sorry. I'm a little stressed out right now."

"I got that." Riku grumbled. "We got separated when we closed the door...but he's here with me."

"In your heart?"

"Yeah..."

"And now you're fighting the darkness." Corita stated.

"Yep."

"Well, we'd better get going. We're not going to fight the darkness, find King Mickey, and drag Sora back home by just standing here."

* * *

"What's the matter, Sora?" Goofy asked kindly. They'd been walking through the world that Jiminy had dubbed 'Twilight Town' for some time, and Sora had led them to a large mansion-like building. They stood outside the huge gate, gazing up at the giant building in awe.

"I feel kind of funny." Sora explained. "I know I've never been here, but it's starting to feel really familiar."

"You must've been here before, then." Donald said grumpily.

"That's just it. I never have." Sora said.

"Maybe it's like with Naminé. You forgot other stuff, so now you remember this place."

"No...it's different." Sora said, crossing his arms and gazing at the ground in thought. "With Naminé, the memories sort of came drifting back. But here, everything just feels familiar, even with no memories."

"Does it now?" asked Vexen's voice. Turning away from the giant gate that guarded the mansion, Sora, Donald, and Goofy witnessed Vexen appearing before them.

"A question, then, Sora..." Vexen said softly. "Which is more real to you: your memories of Naminé, or the familiarity you feel here?"

"Naminé, of course!" Sora said angrily. "Anything I feel here is some stupid trick of yours!"

Vexen looked down at Sora with amusement in his eyes. "The memory's wiles are cruel. In its silence, we forget. And in its perversion, it binds our hearts firmly."

"I don't have time for riddles!" Sora growled, clenching his fists.

"Then remember what I said earlier. The other side of your heart knows this place. Yes, the other side remembers."

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know this place!" Sora yelled.

Vexen watched him in silence for a few moments, deep in thought. "If you remain bound by the chains of memory, and refuse to believe your heart...then you may as well throw your heart away. You're no Keyblade master, no master of anything — just a slave to twisted memories. Just like my Riku. You're not fit to exist."

"YOUR Riku?" Sora said furiously. He grabbed his Keyblade, preparing to fight. Next to him, Donald and Goofy also readied their weapons. "You're so full of it! YOU'RE the one who changed Riku, aren't you? Every word you've said is a lie! I'd never throw away my heart! I'm gonna take you down and save Riku and Naminé. THAT's what's in my heart!"

* * *

"Wonderland!" Corita said merrily as she skipped through the forest ahead of Riku. Riku was watching her with a funny gleam in his eye.

"You seem so happy to be here." He said, amused.

"You aren't?" Corita asked. "I remember this place, everything about it! I never thought I'd be so happy to be lost in this stupid forest!"

"Haha...Corita, I really missed you."

"What?" Corita asked, nearly hitting a tree as she stopped skipping.

"I missed your optimistic attitide." Riku explained.

"Ha. me, optimistic?"

"You're not worried, either." Riku said, walking ahead of her.

"W-w-worried? Why would I be worried?" Corita asked nervously.

"You saw what the darkness did to me." Riku explained. "Now, that same darkness rests in your heart."

"W-w-what?" Corita stuttered. She stared at Riku's back, and Riku kept walking after a moment.

"THANKS FOR FREAKING ME OUT, RIKU!" Corita roared as she ran towards him. "Grr...why couldn't Vexen've just cut me in half instead?"

* * *

"It's quiet. Too quiet." Corita muttered as they walked into the large room with the table, stove, and other various objects.

"Of course it is. There's no one else here." Riku said gruffly as he moved towards the middle of the room.

"No one else here? Why?" Corita asked, stunned. Riku sighed.

"Hmm...let me see if I can remember what he told me..."

"What _who_ told you?"

"That's not important." Riku said sharply, and Corita went silent, realizing she'd touched another nerve.

"Okay, what was it? Oh yeah..._'Your heart only knows how to throw things away. It's empty, like that room. Like your memories. That's why no one is in the castle with you. Your heart is hollow except for the darkness you couldn't quite shake off.'_"

"What?" Corita asked. "Who'd say that to you? Wait, forget it, I didn't mention that. So, since this world is from your memory, but you abandoned everything except darkness, there's no one else here?"

"Well, there's always someone...or something."

"What's always here?" Corita questioned.

"Something like that." Riku said cooly, pointing to the ceiling, where the Trickmaster Heartless was making its appearance in  
Riku's memory.

* * *

"Urrgh... Such strength, even at the mercy of your memory..." Vexen moaned as he kneeled on the ground. He was to the right of the giant gate, and about 20 feet away, Sora, Donald, and Goofy stood next to the gate, weapons still in hand. "You ARE dangerous! You must be exterminated!" Vexen roared.

"Whatever!" Sora said angrily. "Just put Riku back the way he was!"

"Put him back?" Vexen asked softly, standing up slightly. "Fool of a boy! Even now you understand nothing. The Riku you speak of has but one fate — to sink into the emptiness of darkness. And you will share that fate, Sora!" Vexen cried, causing Sora to release his grip on the Keyblade slightly. "If you continue to seek the girl Naminé, the shackles will tighten... You'll lose your heart and become Marluxia's pawn!"

"Marluxia? Who's that, and what do they have to do with Nami—"

It happened in a split second. Sora was questioning Vexen, when a loud slicing noice rang through the air. Vexen grunted and fell forward, falling to his knees. Walking up behind him, grabbing one of his rings out of the air, was Axel.

"Axel!" Sora cried as the red-haired figure moved towards Vexen.

"Hey, Sora." Axel said cheerfully. "Sorry to cut in right when he was getting to the juicy bits."

"Axel...wh...why...?" Vexen groaned.

"You sure love to talk." Axel said. "It's about time you shut up — forever."

"No...don't...don't do it!"

"We're nobodies, Vexen." Axel said softly. "We've got no one to be — but we still 'are.' So look on the bright side. You're  
off the hook. Now you can be nothing instead of just being nobody."

"M-mercy, Axel! I don't want to...go yet..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll watch your new experiment for you." Axel said, stealing a glance at Sora, who was watching in horror. "By the way...NOW you can tell me I don't respect my elders."

Axel's ring sliced through Vexen one last time, and Vexen fell to the ground. Instead of lingering there, however, his body vanished, dissolving into nothingness. Sora, Donald, and Goofy watched in shock, and Axel stood with an emotionless expression.

"What the... What ARE you people?" Sora asked, stunned.

"Wish I knew the answer to that myself." Axel said simply, and then he vanished.

* * *

Having defeated the Trickmaster, Riku and Corita had left the empty barren Wonderland, reaching the next floor's hall. However, something seemed different...

"Something seems different..." Corita remarked. Riku nodded.

"Yeah. One of the robed people's scents is gone."

"Oh, is that how it works?" Corita asked. Riku nodded.

"Yeah. I'm surprised you noticed. Can you tell who it was?"

"No. Everything just seems _different_..."

"Well, it was that scientist, Vexen."

"Vexen! He's gone?" Corita cried.

"Yeah. Good riddance. Look at it this way: at least you don't have to ever see him again."

* * *

"Nice work, Axel. Good riddance to that blabbermouth." Larxene praised as Axel appeared in the room.

"Marluxia, you used Vexen to test Sora's strength, right?" Axel asked.

"Not just Sora's. Yours too, Axel." Larxene commented. "We weren't sure if you had it in you to take out a fellow member of the Organization. Well, I guess you did. You can join the big leagues now. With the three of us, taking over the Organization will be child's play."

"I see." Axel muttered, crossing his arms. "And that's where Sora comes in, right?"

"Exactly. He wants to see Naminé, so we give him what he wants."

"Rejoice, Naminé." Marluxia said, turning to the young blond-haired girl. "The hero you've longed for is nearly here."

Naminé remained silent as she hung her head, but after a few moments she whispered, "I'm... I'm very happy."

"Are you, now?" Larxene asked, raising one eyebrow. "Well, in your fits of uncontrollable happiness, try not to do anything to hurt Sora's feelings. Are we clear?"

"Yes."

"All you need do is layer the memories, one by one, and bring his heart closer." Marluxia explained, and he vanished from the room. Larxene vanished soon after, and Naminé sighed.

"Sora... Even if you come for me — what then?"

Riku Fangirls: We love Riku...we love Riku...  
Corita: Whoot! Axel killed Vexen!  
Sora: I thought this fanfic was rated G!  
Sora53: Well, it happens in the game.  
Fans: YAY DESTRUCTION!  
Sora53: I think I'm weird. When he was killed in the game, I was cracking up for about an hour. It amused me that someone people had been trying to figure out who he was, what role he played, or even his NAME gets killed 10 minutes after you meet him.  
Riku Fangirls: Corita...come join the darkness like Riku did...  
Corita: O.o I'm _fighting_ the darkness _with_ Riku!  
Naminé: Muahaha...Corita plus darkness equals INTERESTING PLOT TWISTS LATER!  
Everyone: O.o-


	23. Sora finally snaps

-Sora53: Whew. Writing almost nonstop for almost 4 months...I need a break O.o  
Joe: NOO!  
Sora53: I would've taken a break a while ago, or at least waited a bit inbetween chapters if CORITA hadn't decided to become an experiment.  
Corita: So this is my fault? DON'T MAKE ME BLAST YOU INTO OBLIVION!  
Sora Fangirls: SORA GOES CRAZY! -sob-  
Riku Fangirls: Riku dressed up for Halloween! Corita, you rule!  
Corita: -bows- Thank you.  
Sora53: Here we are. A nice chapter with a blend of darkness and comic relief.  
Fans: Darkness? WHERE?- 

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Corita. -glares at lawyers-

Riku shot a glance to his side, looking at Corita. She was walking next to him happily, humming some strange tune.

"Corita? What are you humming?" Riku asked.

"It's called The Gummi Ship Song." Corita answered. "When Sora, Donald, Goofy and I traveled between worlds on our gummi ship, Sora and Goofy sang it all the time. Once they sang it 127 times in a row."

"127? You counted?"

"Yep." Corita sighed.  
Corita hung her head, the happiness that had been in her eyes moments before gone. Riku noticed this, and he frowned.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you think of them...I know it must be hard now..."

Corita lifted her head again, and turned to look at Riku. "No, don't worry about it. It's not their fault they forgot me. It's not Sora's OR Naminé's fault."

"I still don't know who Naminé is, but whatever you say. Whose fault is it?"

"It's..." Corita started, but then she remembered something she and Larxene had said...  
_'You're saying this is all my fault?'  
'I guess it depends on the way you look at it. But yeah, that's what I'm saying.'_

"It's...their fault." Corita answered, trying to shake off the memory of Larxene's words. "All those people in the black-robed cult...they did this. But let's not concentrate on the past. What about now? It's great to see you again, Riku." She said with a smile.

Riku grinned. "It's nice to see you, though I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Well, you win some and you lose some."

"Corita, that world we were in before..."

"Wonderland? What about it?"

"You've been there before, right?"

"Yeah...so what?"

"I've never been there. In fact, there were a couple worlds that I've never been too..."

"Really? That's odd...maybe you're visiting worlds from Sora's memory as well as your own."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. It was the only explanation I could think of."  
"  
Well, let's keep going. I only have one card left."

"I'LL USE IT!" Corita cried, grabbing the card from Riku's grip and running to the top of the stairs.

"Hey!" Riku yelled, and then chased after Corita. He was too late, however; Corita had already held up the card and the door was opening.

* * *

"HALLOWEEN TOWN!" Corita squealed, running forward from where she'd arrived in the town. "NOW it's a party! Candy and merriment...COME ON OUT, EVERYONE!"

As she stood in the middle of the square, she was greeted only by silence. After a few moments, she sighed. "There's really no one here, huh?"

"Nope." Riku said as he came up next to her.

"Man, that's really depressing...good thing I still have my werewolf ears!" Corita said happily, shoving the ears she'd made for Halloween Town previously onto her head. "Here, Riku...I'm sure we can manage _something_ with you..."

Corita led the confused Riku to Dr. Finkelstein's lab which was, of course, empty. She dug through a few drawers and cabinets until she found what she wanted.

"Jackpot!" she cried. "Now I just need some glue..."

After 20 minutes, Riku was wearing a headpiece like Corita's, but instead of werewolf ears, Heartless Shadow antenna made of dark fabric (which Corita had conveniently found in one of Dr. Finkelstein's drawers) jutted out of it, flopping in front of his face.

"Corita? What's the point of this?" Riku asked as Corita threw the leftover materials back into their drawers.

"Well, I want to keep the place tidy, even if there's no one-"

"Not that! I mean this thing on my head!"

"Because, it's HALLOWEEN TOWN!" Corita explained, as if that answered all his questions.

"But there's no one around to-"

"WEAR IT WITH PRIDE!" Corita roared. "Wearing these werewolf ears caused me to get a free hotel! Any more questions?"

Riku didn't answer; he was busy glowing with embarrassment as Corita marched him out of the lab.

"There, now...don't you feel ready to take on the town where it's Halloween all the time?"

"No...I just feel stupid."

"You're no fun." Corita said as she marched along in front of him.

* * *

"Heartless!" Corita cried once they'd reached the square again.

"Let me deal with this." Riku said cooly, grabbing his sword and racing into battle.

"Yeah yeah...you defeat ONE giant Heartless in Wonderland and suddenly you think you're a big shot!" Corita yelled after him. "DON'T FORGET; SORA AND I BEAT YOU TONS OF TIMES BEFORE! Ack...meanie."

Riku busily slashed away at most of the Heartless as Corita watched. As angry as she was that Riku wasn't really letting her battle right now, she did have to admit: it was nice to not turn into a card every time a Heartless popped up.

"Corita, watch it!" Riku called from 20 feet away. He was pointing to her left; Corita grabbed her staff and quickly spun around to face it.

"STUPID HEARTLESS!" Corita yelled at the Shadow. She lifted her staff and prepared to send a fire spell at it, but something different happened. Before she could muster up the strength to cast the spell, a different force streamed through her body. It was as if she was casting a cure spell, but the feeling was different.

As she held her staff in the air, a blast of dark energy emitted from it, and it struck the Heartless directly. The darkness surrounded the Heartless, and after a few seconds of Riku and Corita watching in wonder, the darkness collapsed in on itself, and the Heartless was gone.

"Corita...what just happened?" Riku asked quietly.

Corita swallowed hard, still staring at the vacant space where the Heartless had been moments before. "I think...I think I just blasted it into oblivion."

* * *

"Enough, Sora! You'll just hurt Naminé if you go any further." Riku roared as he stood in the middle of the hallway.

"What, you still want to fight?" Sora asked. "Riku, Vexen's gone...you're free!"

As horrible as it had been to see Axel kill Vexen, Sora couldn't say that he was upset. Vexen was the one who'd done this to Riku.

"What?" Riku asked. "I'm protecting Naminé from you because it's what MY heart tells me to do. I promised her... I promised Naminé I'd keep her safe!"

"You...did?"

"There was a meteor shower one night when she and I were little..." Riku said slowly. "Naminé got scared and said, 'What if a shooting star hits the islands?' So I told her, 'If a shooting star comes this way, I'll protect you' And then —"

"You made a promise!" Sora cried. "You were waving a toy sword around!"

Riku looked at him, stunned. "What? How did you know?"

"That was MY promise!" Sora yelled. "I made her a promise that I'd protect her that night!"

"You're lying!" Riku growled.

"I'm lying? Then how come she gave ME her good luck charm?"

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the small paupu-shaped charm as Riku watched in shock.

"Where...did you get that?"

"Naminé gave it to me!" Sora growled.

"Oh, I see." Riku said calmly. "That one's a fake. I've got the real one right here!"

Sora nearly dropped his good luck charm when Riku produced one identical to his out of his pocket. Riku watched it dangle from his hand fondly.

"What? Two of them?" Sora cried.

"I'll teach YOU to make stuff up!" Riku roared, pulling out his sword.

* * *

"Riku, wait!" Sora cried as Riku ran off once again. Having been defeated, Riku wasted no time escaping...but he forgot one very important thing.

"This is...Naminé's good luck charm..." Donald said to Sora, reaching down and grabbing the yellow charm.

Sora walked over to Donald and grabbed the charm. "It can't be..."

As Sora held the card, a bright flash of light engulfed them all. It instantly began to fade away, and when Sora looked down again, he was holding something else.

"It turned into a card..."

* * *

"Ahh, somebody tell me what's going on here..." Donald muttered as the 3 of them headed up the stairs.

"Let's just keep going, okay? It doesn't matter anymore." Sora said.

"Of course it matters!" Donald cried." Don't you think it's weird that you and Riku have the same exact memory? You can't both be right."

"Oh, so I'm wrong, huh?" Sora yelled, turning around to face Donald, who stepped back in shock.

"That's not what Donald meant. We're just worried." Goofy said sadly.

"Then let's hurry up and ask Naminé. That should clear it up, right? Look, we don't have time to sit around. So LET'S GO."

"Sora...what's happened to you?" Goofy asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora snapped.

"You always get real touchy when it comes to Nahmeenay..."

"It's Naminé. Not 'Nahmeenay'." Sora growled. "Say it right!"

"Before we came to this castle, you didn't even know her name. Now she's all you think about." Donald explained.

"It doesn't make sense. Maybe you should stop and think things through?" Goofy suggested.

"Think things through...you mean abandon her, is that it!"

"No, that's not what we mean..."

"Whatever, do what you want. Lay back, take a nap, I don't care! I'M going to find Naminé!"

"Sora!" Donald cried, but the Keyblade Master had already left them; he ran up the stairs as fast as he could and used the card he'd received from Riku's good luck charm.

* * *

"Riku...what happened to me?" Corita asked, trembling slightly.

"Congrats, Corita." Riku said bitterly. "You've just blasted your first Heartless into oblivion with the power of darkness."

"Darkness?" Corita moaned. "No no no! I won't allow it!"

"It's already happened." Riku said grimly.

"ARRGH! What are we doing here, anyway? We've gotta fight the darkness! Let's move, Heartless Boy!"

"Don't call me that! You're the one making me wear this stupid thing on my head!"

Sora53: Poor Goofy! Got yelled at by Sora...  
Naminé: Why aren't you saying anything about Donald?  
Sora53: Corita'llblastme into oblivionif I feel bad for him O.o  
Corita: Yes, yes! I DID blast that Heartless into oblivion! -signs autographs- Hey...where are all the adoring fans? O.o JOE! GET OVER HERE!  
Joe: I'm needed! See ya!  
Riku Fangirls: Riku Halloween costume! IT'S SO SWEET!  
Sora53: All he got was a stupid head thingy.  
Riku Fangirls: -gasp-  
Sora53: Uh oh.  
Riku Fangirls: You'll pay for saying that! -pelts Sora53 with grape lollipops-  
Sora53: AHH!-


	24. Frail—hearted craven

-Sora53: Yarr. Sorry for the brief delay.  
Fans: DARKNESS!  
Sora53: Umm...sure.  
Riku Fangirls: Riku!  
Sora53: Sure.  
Joe: Corita!  
Sora53: Sure.  
Sora Fangirls: Sane Sora!  
Sora53: Sorry, no can do.  
Sora Fangirls: -throws cherry lollipops at Sora53-  
Sora53: It's part of the game! What do you want me to do?- 

Disclaimer: I dun own KH or CoM. I own Corita...and mouthwash! WAHAHA!

"Riku, do you have any mouthwash?" Corita asked as she and Riku walked the long path to Oogie Boogie's manor.

"Uhh...can I ask why?"

"I've got a funny taste in my mouth, and it won't go away...do you have any or not?"

"Sure..." Riku muttered, pulling out his small bottle of mint mouthwash that he always carried around with him.

"Thanks." Corita said thankfully, grabbing the bottle and pulling the cap off of it. After about 5 minutes of continuing on in silence, Corita spoke again.

"Riku, do you have some mints?"

"Sorry, I left all my mints back in Dr. Finkelstein's lab." Riku said sarcastically.

"Oh...really?"

"No, not really! Corita, what's wrong this time?"

"I told you; there's a funny taste in my mouth and it won't go away!"

Riku sighed impatiently. "Corita, don't you get it? That's the taste of darkness!"

"Darkness? Yeah, right. Like you can _taste_ darkness."

"Fine, don't believe me. Just try to get that taste out of your mouth."

"I'll do that." Corita said defiantly. She then tipped nearly the entire bottle of mouthwash into her mouth and began to gargle.

* * *

"STUPID DARKNESS!" Corita yelled, kicking a nearby tombstone for the second time in her adventures through Halloween Town in Castle Oblivion. "STUPID GHOST!" She cried as a fake ghost popped out of the tombstone. "STUPID...CASTLE!"

"Couldn't get the taste out of your mouth, huh?"

"Don't make me kick you next, Riku."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, we're almost to Oogie Boogie's manor. Are you ready to take him on?"

"Why do I have to?" Riku asked lazily. "Why don't you just blast him into oblivion?"

"THAT'S IT!"

"Hey! Stop kicking me!"

* * *

"You're all he's got left." Axel said calmly. "If you don't stop this, no one will."

"It...it's too late now." Naminé responded sadly.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Axel answered lazily. He looked down at Naminé, but there was no response. "By the way,  
Naminé. I don't see Marluxia around. Do you?"

At this statement, Naminé's head lifted from where it hung sadly and her eyes looked up at Axel, full of shock.

"What are you trying to say?" She asked nervously.

"There's no one here to stop you. Do it right." Axel answered, and Naminé nodded quickly. She stood up and dashed away, leaving Axel alone in the room.  
He stood in silence for a few moments, then he did something very strange. He began to laugh.

"Hm hmm... Ha ha haaa! Now THIS should be good!" Axel laughed. "All the actors are in place. Now, Sora! Naminé! Riku! Corita! Marluxia! Larxene! It's about time you gave me one hell of a show!"

* * *

"Sora, you shouldn't talk to Donald and Goofy like —" Jiminy started to say, but Sora cut him off.

"Keep it to yourself!" The Keyblade Master growled, and Jiminy nervously crept back into Sora's pocket. Sora had used the last World Card, and was now running down a long stretch of beach.  
Beach?  
Sora screeched to a halt, nearly causing Jiminy to go flying out of his pocket. He looked around, dazed.

"I'm not going crazy. Right? I know exactly where this is..." Sora muttered to himself. "Yeah! This is our island — where Naminé and I used to play together!"

"Hey!" Called a familiar voice. Sora turned to it, and saw that his three old friends were approaching him.

"What's up, Sora?" asked a boy with orange hair. He was gripping a blue and white ball tightly.

"Whatcha doing?" asked a young girl with brown hair and a bright yellow dress.

"Hey guys!" Sora said cheerfully. "Boy, am I glad to see you, um..."

"'Um' what?" asked the final person, with scruffy blondish hair and a long red stick clutched in his hand.

"We got food on our faces?" the orange-haired boy asked.

"Please, Wakka." The girl said, sighing. "Only you could be stupid enough to not notice food stuck to your face."

"Hey, that's cold, Selphie!" Wakka cried.

"I dunno, Wakka. Selphie's right."

"Not you too, Tidus!"

"THAT'S IT!" Sora roared in glee, causing Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus to take a few steps backwards.

"Did you get hit in the head with another coconut?" Tidus asked with concern.

Sora shook his head. "No, just thinking aloud."

"Oh, I get it." Tidus said with a grin. "You must be thinking about HER again!"

A smile spread across Wakka and Selphie's faces as well.

"That would explain why he's actin' all funny toward us." Wakka agreed.

"I bet you want us to take a hike so you two can be ALONE, huh?" Selphie asked.

Sora looked at her with a bit of confusion on his face. "Umm...I guess."

"Alright, see you later, Sora!" Selphie said cheerfully, and she dashed off.

"We'll try to be quiet while we SPY on you!" Tidus yelled, causing him to be hit in the head by Wakka's ball.

"Don't worry, Sora! I'll keep him away from you!" Wakka called as Sora's 3 old friends ran off.

* * *

"Man, that Oogie Boogie was a wimp." Riku said cooly as he and Corita approached the world's exit.

"Well, he IS just a bag of bugs..." Corita explained. "You were pretty good in battle back there, Riku."

"You weren't so bad yourself." Riku complimented. "I guess not all girls are wimps in battle after all."

"Hey, are you saying I thought I'd be a wimp in battle?"

"Hahaha!"

Corita's cheeks burned crimson as Riku laughed at her. Indignant, she resorted to kicking him again, but he nimbly avoided her kicks.

"Sorry, that won't work anymore. I'm too quick." Riku said calmly.

"Oh...then I'll just have to come up with other ways to threaten you, now won't I?"

The two passed through the door leading to the next hallway of Castle Oblivion, bickering over silly things like friends do. When they got halfway up the hallway, however, Riku stopped. Corita stopped as well, noticing for the first time that there was once again someone else in the hallway.

"That scent... You're another 'nobody.'" Riku said bitterly to the tall, muscular man standing before the stairs. He had short, wild brown hair and looked like he could bend a steel bar into a pretzel if he so desired.

"Another?" Corita sighed. "How many ARE there?"

"You've done well to make it this far, Riku." The man said calmly. "Your reputation is deserved. But to be afraid of the darkness...what a waste!"

"I'm not scared." Riku said boldly.

"I can see that you are." The man said. "You have the potential to control it. Cast away the fear that weakens you. Unbind your heart, and take hold of the darkness within."

"What if he refuses?" Corita asked.

"Then he ends here — light, darkness, and all!" The man roared. He summoned up his strength, and before Riku or Corita could do anything, he shot a blast of dark energy at Riku.

"Riku!" Corita cried as Riku was knocked backwards.

"Uggh..." Riku moaned as he kneeled up.

"See the power of darkness! I, Lexaeus, will not yield to a frail-hearted craven!" Lexaeus roared as he approached them. "Now, end your resistance, and let the darkness in!"

"Who're you calling a frail-hearted craven?" Riku cried, leaping off of the ground and drawing his sword.

* * *

Sora ran down the bridge towards the small raised island with the paupu tree, searching for someone, anyone...when a coconut bonked him on the head.

"OW!" Sora cried, rubbing his head and blinking.

"Pay attention down there!" A voice called from up above. Leaping down from the top of a coconut tree was a teenager with silver hair and teal eyes, and he was grinning.

"What's going on?" He asked. "I know you...you're Riku!"

"Thanks for remembering me." Riku said with a bit of amusement in his voice. "It's been, what, a couple of hours?"

"Er...never mind. Are you okay? Are you still under his control?"

"What's wrong with you?" Riku asked.

"Oh...I get it. You must be the Riku from my memories." Sora said.

"'The Riku From My Memories'? I didn't hit you THAT hard with the coconut, did I?"

"I dunno...you may have."

"Ha, you're such a little kid." Riku said cooly. "How are you gonna take care of HER if you act like that?"

"So you know where she is?" Sora asked. "I've been -"

As Sora spoke, the ground began to shake. Coconuts went flying off the trees, and several narrowly avoided hitting Riku and Sora, who where trying to keep there balance.

"What's going on?" Sora cried.

"How should I know?" Riku asked. "Whatever it is, it can't be good. I'm gonna go warn the others!"

"Then I'll..."

"I know! It's your job to take care of her! So get going!" Riku cried, running off along the bridge.

* * *

"Riku, here's some advice for the future." Corita hissed as she ran to him after avoiding Lexaeus's giant tomahawk weapon. "DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT'LL GET YOU BLOWN UP"

"Like I'm gonna just let him call me a frail-hearted craven!" Riku hissed back.

"Good point."

Riku and Corita parted as Lexaeus shot another blast of darkness in their direction. Riku started slashing at him with his sword, and Corita ran to the side to blast him with spells.

"YOU FRAIL-HEARTED CRAVEN!" Lexaeus roared, preparing to strike Riku with his weapon.

"Hey, Mr. Muscles!" Corita cried. "Over here!"

Lexaeus turned to Corita's voice, causing Riku to get in a few slashes and avoid being struck by Lexeaus's weapon. Enraged,  
Lexaeus turned back to Riku and shot a blast of darkness at him. Even someone like Lexaeus couldn't miss a target 2 feet away, and Riku was knocked backwards by the blast.

"Riku!" Corita cried for the second time within 10 minutes. Riku got up off the ground again, and something strange happened. He began to glow with a dark aura; it surrounded him and entered his body...entered his heart. A flash of dark light and a cry from Riku later, and Riku was slashing at Lexaeus dressed in his clothes of darkness - a symbol of his dark powers.

Corita blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. Riku, the one who'd been fighting the darkness...was using darkness in battle!

* * *

"The island's breaking up!" Sora cried as he tried his best to keep his balance. Everywhere, the ground shook and coconuts flew out of the trees. Sora looked up, and even the sun was fading...everything was going dark...  
He looked behind him, and something was rising from his shadow...  
Darkside had returned to fight him. 

Sora53: DUN DUN DUN!  
Sora Fangirls: Poor Sora has to fight Darkside AGAIN!  
Naminé: Sora53, you actually put a bit of fighting in! Congrats!  
Sora53: Well, since there aren't people turning into cards all over the place, why not?  
Joe: Corita, you got to fight again! How does it feel?  
Corita: Get away from me. I'm not in the mood.  
Fans: What's wrong?  
Corita: Darkness, that's what!  
Sora Fangirls: At least you're not a frail-hearted craven like Riku!  
Riku Fangirls: WE HEARD THAT!  
-fight between Sora and Riku Fangirls-  
Sora53: ...-


	25. Smashed hearts and twisted memories

-Sora53: Fwee! I updated!  
Corita: GAH!  
Fans: Corita's upset again. Ugh.  
Joe: Corita's GAHing! You know what that means.  
Corita: GAH!  
Naminé: We do?  
Corita: GAH!- 

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or CoM! I own Corita...and the eternal realm of darkness MUAHAHA! Erm...never mind.

"I have to keep her safe..." Sora cried, running from where he'd just defeated Darkside to the opposite side of the raised island. The area appeared now as it had that night...the night he was taken away from his island and found himself in Traverse Town.

"Naminé! Can you hear me?" Sora called out, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind. Turning again, he saw someone standing on the opposite side of the island.

"Naminé..." He said softly as he ran to her. As he ran, the blonde-haired girl turned around to face Sora, a look of gratitude on her face.

"Sora...you came for me." She said in barely a whisper. Sora stopped in front of hers, meeting his eyes with her own deep blue eyes.

"Naminé...it's really you..." Sora said with relief. "I've been through so much to see you..."

"I could say the same." Naminé responded. "I really wanted to see you...but not like this. Sora, I really messed up."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked in shock, backing away from her.

Naminé hung her head in shame, looking away from the Keyblade Master's confused expression. "I was alone for so long. I couldn't bear it anymore... So I beckoned your heart to lead you here. And I'm so glad you found me. But your heart, I had to —"

"No, don't worry about it." Sora interrupted calmly. "I came because I promised I'd protect you."

"Thank you." Naminé said softly, looking at Sora again. "Oh, Sora...forgive me...I'm not supposed to be in this picture."

"She's right." rang out a new voice, but in a way it was the same. On the opposite side of the area, another Naminé appeared, identical to the one Sora had been talking to. They were the same, yet in a way...different...

...and Sora was in between them.

"Naminé!" Sora cried, turning his head to look at the Naminé who'd just appeared.

"That's not me." The newer Naminé said. "I'm not in anybody's heart. I never have been."

"Naminé...wha...what's wrong with you?" Sora stammered. "We were inseparable! But then I lost you... I came here so I'd  
never lose you again!"

"Was it really me you came for?" the second Naminé asked softly.

"Of course!" Sora cried. His hand reached into his pocket, searching for his charm. After digging around for a few moments, he pulled it out triumphantly.

"See! I may have forgotten things in this castle, but I haven't forgotten you!" Sora cried.

"My good luck charm!" The first Naminé said happily. "You still have it..."

"No, Sora! Don't believe me!" The second Naminé cried over the howling winds.

"What am I supposed to do...?" Sora wondered as he looked back in forth from Naminé to Naminé.

"Think, Sora. Think of the person who's most special to you." The second Naminé cried as Sora stared down at the good luck charm. "See that faint glimmer way in the back of your heart? That's a piece of your memory, Sora. Call out to it! No matter how far away the light gets, your heart's voice will always reach it!"

"But I already know who's most special to me." Sora responded. "It's you, Na—"

Sora blinked. Was it just him, or was Naminé's charm changing? Everything around him was going white as well...no longer did it resemble a paupu fruit...now it was a small star-shaped figure with a little smiling face on one of its arms...Sora blinked again and Naminé grinned at him. Naminé's hair...it was short and a deep red color...her outfit had changed from a small white dress to a white tank top and a purple skirt.

Suddenly, everything around him returned to normal. Seagulls flew overhead and the ocean breeze ruffled his spiky hair backwards.

"Who... Who was that?" Sora cried, looking around. No one appeared - not Naminé, not the girl he'd just seen. "I can't remember her, but she feels so...familiar."

Suddenly, Sora realized that someone was missing. "Wait, what about Naminé? Where did she go?" He cried. He ran off down the bridge, sprinting as fast as he could towards the world exit. Surely there...

* * *

Corita stared blandly at Riku and Lexaeus as their battle came to a fast close. Gifted with darkness, Riku struck faster and more powerfully. Lexaeus soon kneeled from exhaustion, and Riku stood in front of him, glaring down. Riku's clothes transformed back to normal, and Corita blinked a few times to make sure she'd really seen what she'd just seen.

"Such...such power!" Lexaeus cried.

"What's...wrong...Lexaeus?" Riku panted. "Is that all...darkness can do?"

"Well...It seems...I am beaten..." Lexaeus said slowly. "But the Organization shall triumph! I may perish, but all the darkness within me will billow forth and devour you!"

Corita lept up and ran towards Riku, who was stepping away from Lexaeus. Lexaeus began to fade away, but with his last breath, he shot a blast of darkness at the two.

It was a direct hit.

Riku and Corita felt themselves being pulled away, pulled into the darkness...the bright lights of Castle Oblivion's hallways began to fade away, and Lexaeus vanished entirely.

They were trapped in the darkness, isolated in its depths.

* * *

"Naminé!" Sora cried as he ran up the hallway's stairs. Ahead of him, Naminé stood in the middle of the hallway, watching him approach. Sora ran to her, but slowed down as he approached her. He surveyed her for a moment, then remembered what had just happened.

"...it's not you." Sora said. "The person who's most special to me...it isn't you."

Naminé nodded. "Right. The girl you care about... the one who was always with you... It's not me. It's her."

"But...who is she? If she's so special to me, why can't I remember her name?" Sora thought aloud.

Naminé sighed woefully. "It's because I went into your memories and..."

"Let ME explain this." called a familiar voice. Both Sora and Naminé turned to it, and they saw Riku moving towards them.  
"Plain and simple." Riku said lazily as he approached them. "Your memories are all wrong. You're not the one who's meant to protect Naminé. I AM."

"Riku...wha?"

"You and your twisted memories keep getting in the way!" Riku roared, whisking out his sword and leaping at Sora.

* * *

"Riku, stop!" Sora cried after blocking another attack. He and Riku had been battling for some time, with Naminé watching fearfully on the sidelines.

"Want some more?" Riku growled, knocking Sora away with his sword. Sora hit the wall and fell to the ground.

"Sora!" Naminé cried as Riku moved towards the Keyblade Master.

"Looks like I win." Riku said with a grin.

"Stop! Riku, no!" Naminé cried as Riku raised his sword.

"You're through, you fake!" Riku growled.

"I said, STOP!" Naminé roared angrily.

Sora covered his head, preparing for the blow, but nothing came. Instead, Riku's arm dropped to his side, and his face suddenly turned emotionless.

"R-Riku?" Sora stammered as he looked up.

Riku didn't answer. Instead, he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Sora's face turned to shock, and he lept off of the ground.

"Riku! RIKU! What did you do? What did you do to Riku?" Sora cried to Naminé.

"She broke his heart. More like smashed it, really." Larxene said lazily. Sora and Naminé turned looked away from the form of Riku, and saw that the blonde-haired robed figure was watching them with delight.

"Smashed!" Sora cried desperately. "But that means he's...he's..."

"Ahaha, you're so funny to watch." Larxene taunted as Sora ran to face her. "If you're worried about you're little friend, then worry no more. Riku was never here."

"What are you talking about?" Sora snarled.

"You want me to tell you?" Larxene asked. "Gee...I dunno...I just HATE spoiling things..."

"Quit playing around!" Sora growled.

Larxene let out a short laugh, a taunting laugh that made Sora clench his fists in fury. "All right, have it your way. It'll kill you to hear this...but I can live with that. That thing lying there..." Larxene said, pointing to Riku's crumpled form lying against the wall near Naminé, "...is nothing more than a puppet Vexen made. Funny, really. He called you a fake, but he's nothing more than a toy!"

"Fake? A FAKE Riku?" Sora cried.

Larxene nodded merrily. "Fake in every single way. Vexie finished it only recently. Its memories with Naminé were planted, not real. All this time it's been picking fights with you over bogus memories. Isn't that right Naminé? Behind that cute little face you do some awful things."

"No...not Naminé..." Sora muttered.

"You are so STUPID!" Larxene said. "Don't you get it? Just about all she's good for is stepping into people's hearts and rearranging their memories. She can change them, eliminate them...or even create memories of events that never happened!"

"Then my memory... Everything I remember...it's..."

"Lies, lies. All lies! An illusion Naminé made." Larxene explained coldly. "Binding you in the chains of your own memory was central to our trap. You were so easily duped...it's funny, really. We nearly had you...but that jerk Axel used Naminé to wreck everything! The Keyblade Master could've been our puppet! He betrayed us!"

"You'll pay..." Sora growled with quiet fury.

Naminé couldn't take it anymore. She ran to where the two stood, standing in front of Sora and turning towards Larxene  
angrily. "I won't let you lay a finger on him!"

Sora blinked a few times. Hadn't something like this...happened before? Someone...protecting him from Larxene...

"Excuse me?" Larxene growled. "It's a little late to grow a conscience, witch. Last I checked, YOU'RE the one who got him into this mess!"

"I know, but..."

"I'm not in the mood." Larxene said angrily. "Thanks to you, all our efforts in getting the Keyblade Master are toast!"

Larxene lifted her hand and knocked Naminé away, causing Sora to cry out.

"Naminé!" He yelled as she lay on the floor.

Larxene looked at him in surprise. "Wha-wha-what!" She stuttered. "Distress? You don't even KNOW her!"

"Maybe not. But I still made a promise." Sora said. I promised Naminé I'd keep her safe. Maybe my memories are fake. But they're still mine, and I'm gonna be true to them!"

Sora stared at Larxene with fierceness in his eyes, and Larxene stared back. They stood in silence for a few moments. The silence (and staring contest) was ended when Larxene let out a long, cruel laugh.

"What an IDIOT!" She laughed. "There is no promise, there never was! YOU ARE DELUSIONAL. Must you insist on playing the hero?"

Sora didn't answer. He merely watched her closely, not blinking. Larxene grinned.

"Well, whatever. It's your funeral." Within an instant, Larxene's razor-sharp knives appeared, and she prepared to strike Sora with them.

"Look at it this way..." Larxene said softly as the air was charged with electricity. "In a minute, you won't have to worry about memories, your friends...anything!"

Sora53: When the Corita GAHs, the Larxene will appear. It's natural.  
Sora/Riku Fangirls: Ooh -takes notes-  
Corita: Larxene hurt Sora AND Naminé! Wait...I'm mad at both of them O.o  
Joe: Really?  
Corita: Kinda.  
Joe: Corita, I'm sorry you're busy being...what was it...isolated in the darkness's depths, but can I have a cookie?  
Naminé: I'll give you a cookie! -gives Joe a cookie-  
Corita: HEY! That's MY fanboy! Get your own!  
Sora: Hi Naminé...  
Naminé/Corita/Joe: THINK OF KAIRI!  
Sora: Oh yeah!


	26. Eremikophobia?

---Sora53: Haven't updated in a while. Blame puppies.  
Fans: Erm...puppies?  
Sora53: Yeah. One of our dogs is gonna have puppies, so I've been on puppy patrol. They're actually due today!  
Corita/Naminé: -squeal- puppies!  
Joe: ANSEM IS IN THIS CHAPTER! ...KINDA! ANSEM RULES!  
Sora53: O.o no more sugar for Joe...--- 

Disclaimer: I dun own KH or CoM. I own Corita, even though she isn't in this chapter much...

Sora was knocked backwards by a single effortless swipe of Larxene's arm, much to her amusement.

"Is that all, Sora?" She asked sweetly. Before Sora could respond, she prepared to strike again, faster than the wind. However, she was knocked back almost instantly by a lone figure who'd appeared in front of the Keyblade Master.

"You'll have to go through us!" Goofy cried boldly as he held his shield before Larxene. Donald was close behind, and he was now helping Sora to his feet.

"You two came back?" Sora asked, dazed.

"Well, duh." Donald sighed.

"We were worried about you!" Goofy said.

"It's always been the three of us...and it always will be!" Donald squawked. At this remark, Larxene burst out in laughter once again. Sora, Donald and Goofy glared at her.

"What's so funny? Never seen caring and friendship before?" Sora growled.

"Caring? Friendship? It's hilarious...you're here ranting about caring for each other, while you don't even remember _anything!"_

"I told you before; it doesn't matter if my memories are fake. I'm going to be true to them." Sora said. "Got it, Larxene?"  
Larxene's face turned from amused to fierce. "Whatever. Thrice the pain for you means thrice the fun for me!"

* * *

"No... Nooooo!" Larxene roared as she kneeled on the ground after being beaten to a pulp by Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "I refuse to lose to a bunch of losers!"

"If you lost to a bunch of losers, that makes you a pretty big loser." Goofy said. Larxene glared at him, and he shut up.

"I... I'm fading!" She gasped. "NO...this isn't...the way I... I won't...ALLOW..."

"Goodbye, Larxene." Sora said coldly as she faded away into nothingness, just as Vexen had.

"You must be Naminé!" Goofy said cheerfully, turning to the blonde-haired girl. "We're friends of Sora, I'm —"

"You're Goofy, I know." Naminé said. "And you're Donald."

"How'd you know?" Donald asked, stunned.

"Congrats, Sora! You found Naminé after all this time!" Jiminy said.

"Naminé, I know it isn't easy, but can you tell us what's been going on?" Sora asked.

"It's not a problem." Naminé said. "I took the people and memories in Sora's heart...and replaced them with false memories I'd made."

"So the promise Sora made to keep you safe..." Donad said slowly.

"It was a lie. Sora never promised me anything." Naminé sighed sadly. "I was never on the islands, either. This is our first meeting...I was never Sora's friend..."

"So you're why we all lost our memories as well." Goofy stated. Naminé nodded.

"Can we ever get them back?" Donald asked.

"If we go to the thirteenth floor." Naminé responded. "It's just...Marluxia..."

"Is that the person who made you do this to us?" Jiminy asked.

"He said he'd keep me locked away in this castle forever if I didn't obey. I've been alone for so long..."

"So you did it 'cause you were lonely!" Goofy realized.

"I...I'm so sorry..." Naminé whispered.

"Don't be. Please don't cry..." Sora said as a tear fell down Naminé's cheek.

"I know. I don't have the right..."

"That's not what I meant!" Sora said. "Look, I'm not too happy with you messing up my memories. These memories...in my head, I know they're lies, but they still feel right. Like my promise. If you cry now, I'll feel like I've let you down somehow. So don't cry, don't apologize. Just smile and be happy. It'll be easier on me that way until I get my memory back."

"Goofy, don't you think he's being a tad dramatic?" Donald asked as Naminé wiped her tears away and smiled.

"Not really. Sora's always this way around girls!"

"Shut up, you two! I thought you'd lost your memories!"

"Friends don't forget things like that!" Donald said with a smile.

"Gimmie a break..." Sora sighed as Naminé gave a soft giggle.

"There! That's the Naminé I remember!" Sora said with a grin. "In my fake memory, I really liked it when you smiled. But what I'm feeling now...it's real."

"You're sweet, Sora." Naminé said.

"Well, we've still got some work to do." Sora said, suddenly more serious.

Goofy grinned. "Marluxia's up there, so you'd better stay here, Naminé."

"Goofy's right. Could you watch over Riku for me? We'll come get you when this is all over." Sora explained.

"Okay. Good luck, Sora."

"I'll be fine. I promise."

* * *

"If Naminé didn't give me this, then who did?" Sora wondered, gazing down once again at his tiny charm.

"Can't you remember?" Donald asked kindly.

"I only remember Naminé. Can you two remember anything?" Sora asked, putting the charm away.

"I think Goofy and I are looking for someone." Donald muttered. "But I can't remember."

"Then let's make a promise!" Goofy said. "It's easier to face the scary stuff If you've got a promise to keep."

"So it's like...courage."

"No matter what happens..." Goofy started, pulling his hand out towards his friends. "Even if we end up far apart...or forget each other..."

"All for one, one for all." Sora said, grinning, as he put his hand on top of Goofy and Donald's.

"And that's a promise." Donald said in a cheerful tone uncommon to him.  
Sora pulled his hand away. "Let's get going. We've gotta get our memories back."

"Yeah!" Goofy cheered.

"I'm sorry I deserted you guys." Sora muttered sadly.

"Don't worry about it, Sora." Goofy said. "We made it through the islands okay...has Donald always had eremikophobia?"

"Um...eremikophobia?"

"Watch!" Goofy said. "Look Donald! Sand!"

"SAND?" Donald shrieked, who then flung himself behind Goofy. "Where?"

* * *

"What the —" Riku whispered after he'd woken up. How long had he been sleeping, cradled in the darkness? "What...what happened? Where am I?"

"I can see...I can see clearly!" rang a booming voice. Riku's eyes opened wide, searching for who'd spoken.

"Lexaeus?" Riku cried.

"Riku...I can see your heart..."

"No..." Riku whipered. "It can't be...darkness this foul could only belong to one person..."

"That's it...let me drift into your heart..."

"Ansem!"

"You called my name, Riku...you're thinking of me...good...the more you think of me, the closer my return draws. And when I awaken..."

Riku whirled around, stunned at what he saw in the darkness. Ansem was there, glaring at him with his piercing eyes.

"Your heart will be mine!" He bellowed.

"Riku, don't let Ansem take you!" called yet another voice. Riku looked up and saw that another orb of light was drifting down from above. The orb hit the ground between Riku and Ansem, and King Mickey appeared in a flash.

"Your Majesty!" Riku sighed, relieved.

"Meddlesome king!" Ansem roared. Riku was blinded as all around him went bright, and within seconds the bright hall of Castle Oblivion had appeared again.

"The king...protected me?" Riku wondered. "Your Majesty, where are you?" He called. Meanwhile, Corita was looking around next to him, dazed.

"Riku...why are you yelling?" She asked grumpily.

"You're with me, aren't you..."

"Wha...what happened?" Corita asked.

Sora53: Fwee!  
Joe: THAT'S ALL THE CORITA I GET?  
Sora53: You're not gonna attack me now, are you? O.o  
Joe: GET HER!  
Sora53: AHH!  
Fans: What the heck. -chase Sora53-  
Sora/Corita/Naminé/Sora Fangirls/Riku Fangirls: What the heck. -chase Sora53- GET HER!  
Sora53: HELP ME!  
Corita: -randomly stops- Larxene's gone! -does the happy dance- -continues in the Sora53 chase-


	27. Axel's riddles

---Sora53: -sigh- Short, late chapter.  
Fans: You can't be spending that much time on puppy patrol!  
Sora53: I am...they're even harder to take care of once they're born!  
Fans: Go figure.  
Corita: Aw, it's okay, Sora53! If there had to be an excuse for such a pathetically short chapter, puppies are a great one!  
Sora53: Really?  
Joe: No.  
Sora53: Meep.--- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH OR CoM. Either! That's how sad I am! I own Corita...and the shortness of this chappie! There's been so much Sora/Donald/Goofy goodness lately because I'm trying to fit it into the timeframe of the game...it's hard O.o

Riku turned his head slightly to watch Corita as she rubbed her eyes. Taking her hands away and blinking a few times, she sighed.

"Are you okay?" She asked gingerly after her eyes had somewhat adjusted to the bright hallway.

He gave a weak smile. "Not bad. How about you?"

"Never better." She said sarcastically. "We're doing a great job of fighting the darkness."

"Don't talk like that." Riku said bitterly. "We need to keep going, no matter what."

The two continued slowly up the hallway, brooding over their situation. About halfway up, Corita stopped dead in her tracks, much to the displeasure of who'd been walking behind her.

"Corita! What's wrong?" Riku asked.

Corita didn't respond. She merely stood there, her brown hair reflecting the light of the hallway. Then, she turned around gracefully and grinned at her friend.

"Larxene's gone."

* * *

"You!" Marluxia snarled as Axel appeared before him. "How DARE you show yourself here, traitor!"

"Traitor?" Axel asked almost politely. "I haven't a clue of what you're talking about."

"You and your meddling! He was almost ours! The Keyblade Master was within reach!"

"Right. Your 'big plan'." Axel mocked, causing Marluxia to quiver with rage. "You use Naminé to rewrite Sora's memory piece by piece. He becomes her puppet. Then, using Naminé and Sora, you and Larxene overthrow the Organization. Did I get it right? 'Cause that would make YOU the traitor, Marluxia. Not me."

"You eliminated Vexen!" Marluxia roared.

"If memory serves me correctly, it was YOU who ordered me to." Axel said lazily. "I had to be sure you two trusted me."

"You've been investigating us from the start! A double agent...!"

"Anyway, I believe you told me to 'rid us of our traitors.'" Axel said with a slight smile. In a flash of light and fire, Axel's weapons appeared in his gloved hands. "I always follow orders, Marluxia."

Marluxia glared at Axel, and Axel watched him closely. Both eyes were filled with anger and hatred, and Marluxia gave a soft laugh.

"You're making a big mistake." Marluxia warned softly.

"Larxene already paid the price for disloyalty. It's your turn, Marluxia."

"Go ahead and strike." Marluxia growled. With a wave of his hand, someone appeared in front of him almost instantly.

"Naminé?" Axel asked. "You think cowering behind your little mascot will stop me?"

Naminé trembled slightly as her eyes turned to the razor-sharp weapons in Axel's hands. Her eyes turned to Axel as he continued to speak. "She can keep you company in the void. Farewell, Marluxia."

"I'm not so sure about that. Right, Sora?" Marluxia asked while still facing Axel.

"Huh?" Axel asked. Marluxia grinned as soft footsteps grew louder. Sora ran up from the stairwell into the hallway, and as he ran towards the group (with Donald and Goofy close behind) Marluxia boomed, "Sora! Axel is willing to harm Naminé just to get at me! Destroy him!"

Sora reached out to grab Naminé's hand as he approached her, but both she and Marluxia vanished before he could reach her.

"Marluxia...he must've kidnapped Naminé while we were climbing up here..." Sora said softly as Donald and Goofy caught up with him.

"Well, well. Looks like Marluxia made you his puppet after all." Axel said lightly.

Sora turned his head to look up at the towering red-haired figure before him. "Never. After I finish you off, he's going down too."

"Hmm..." Axel said softly, crossing his arms and looking down at the Keyblade Master. Sora glared at him, and Axel's eyes filled with a strange emotion...Axel was always hard to read, but his expression made it even harder as he watched Sora.

"Listen, Sora. We've got more in common than you think." Axel said calmly. "I'd rather not fight you...but I do have a reputation to think of!"

* * *

Riku blinked a few times as Corita skipped merrily around the hallway, singing a song he was sure she'd just come up with.

"She's gooooone! She's GOOOONE! She's GOOOOOOOOONE!"

"I hate to interrupt this special moment of yours, but who the heck is Larxene?" Riku asked.

Corita stopped skipping immediately once she remembered that Riku was watching her. Blushing, she walked back over to him, her head staring at the floor.

"No one important...hey, we should keep going! We have more dark baddies to fight!"

"2 minutes ago you were discouraged and depressed, and suddenly you're skipping around the hallway...you're insane."

* * *

"You're not too bad, Sora. Looks like it was worth saving you after all."

"Saving me? What are you talking about now?" Sora asked, suddenly unnerved.

"Sorry. I'd HATE too kill the suspense. See you around." Axel said merrily.

"Axel!" Sora cried as the spiky-haired unknown vanished into thin air.

"Sora! We need to get to Marluxia!" Donald yelled.

Sora was still staring at the place where Axel had been standing moments before. "What did he mean...?"

"SORA! GET THE LEAD OUT!" Donald shrieked as he and Goofy started pulling the dazed Keyblade Master forward.

"Oh...sorry. Let's go!"

The trio ran up the next flight of stairs, panting heavily. Maybe they were just tired from the battle with Axel, but these stairs seemed longer...steeper...

"Marluxia!" Sora yelled as he finally reached the top. Donald was pulling Goofy along, who'd stumbled a few steps down.

"So, Sora. You've destroyed Axel." Marluxia said with a grin. "I should thank you...or perhaps I should thank the power of the Keyblade? How I long to make that power mine!"

"You're insane." Sora growled. "Let Naminé go!"

To Marluxia's side, Naminé stood watching Sora with pleading eyes. Marluxia gave a soft laugh.

"You cannot win as long as she is in my hands. Naminé... Erase Sora's memory!"

"What?" Sora, Donald and Goofy gasped at the same time. Naminé looked up at Marluxia.

"But...if I do that..."

"Yes." Marluxia mused. "If you uproot the memories you've planted in his heart...then Sora's heart will collapse and his memories will be torn asunder.

"Sora's heart..." Donald said softly.

"...Collapse?" Goofy finished.

"I'd prefer the Keyblade master unmarred...but even a riven heart can be rebuilt with time. Sora will yet be my slave. Do it, Naminé! Obliterate his memory!"

"NO!" Naminé roared loudly, causing Marluxia, Sora, Donald and Goofy to look at her in shock.  
"Sora forgave me for all those horrible things you made me do to him. I don't care what you do to me...I won't hurt Sora!"

"Then you'll pay the price..." Marluxia growled, his voice dangerously soft. Sora stepped forward, staring unblinking at Naminé. His voice, despite how hard he tried to keep it strong, trembled slightly as he said, "Do what he says, Naminé! Erase my memory!"

Sora53: DUN DUN DU...  
Fans: -attack Sora53 with Watermelon lollipops-  
Sora53: Oo WATERMELON? Whose favorite lollipops are those?  
Joe: -holding 98632 watermelon lollipops- Corita's...  
Sora53: O.o Okkkkkkaaaaayyy.  
Corita: Watermelon! -eats a watermelon lollipop-  
Naminé: Don't I get a favorite lollipop?  
Sora53: Sorry. You haven't been a member of my posse for long enough.  
Naminé: DARN IT!---


	28. 782 reasons why Corita hates Larxene

---Sora53: Look how fast I updated!  
Fans: It's not that hard when you're on vacation.  
Sora53: SILENCE! I put a lot of effort into this chapter!  
Corita: Really?  
Sora53: OF COURSE!  
Naminé: Dun dun dun!  
Joe: -is eating a watermelon lollipop- WHO WANTS ONE?--- 

Dislaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own Corita and this bottle of water I'm drinking. Mmm...purified!

"Sora, what are you saying?" Goofy asked in a shocked tone as everyone looked at the Keyblade Master in disbelief.

"Do it, Naminé! Erase my memories, break my heart... I'll still have my promise. I'll still protect you!" Sora said boldly.

"Sora..." Naminé whispered in a stunned tone.

"I don't need my memory to take on Marluxia, anyway." He said lightly.

"Yeah!" Donald said boldly. "With everyone else's memories, he can piece his own back together again in no time!"

"Ignorant fools!" Marluxia screeched. "If Naminé destroys your memory, you'll be naught but a lifeless shell. Your heart will be unable to feel, to care! Just like that pathetic imitation of Riku!"

"Guess again." called a fierce voice. Seemingly out of nowhere, Riku dashed up from behind Sora and struck Marluxia with his sword. Marluxia, caught off guard, was sent crashing to the wall of the castle. Riku stood between Sora and Naminé, sword raised and eyes glowing with fury.

"Riku!" Sora gasped.

Riku sighed. "Not Riku. Just someone's experiment."

"No! You're an empty shell! You've been stripped of all you had!"

"Did I ever really have anything?" Riku growled. "My body and heart are fake...but I must protect Naminé. Phantom promise or not, it's MY promise!"

Marluxia stood again, and he watched the 5 figures before him closely. "Know your place!" Marluxia snarled. "You would chain your heart with false memories? Cast your heart's freedom aside? You turn from the truth because your heart is weak. You cannot defeat me!"

Marluxia held up his arms, and in a flash of light, a huge scythe appeared in his hands. He swung it downward, and Donald couldn't help let out a soft chuckle.

"Pink?" He laughed. "A PINK scythe?"

"FOOLS!" Marluxia thundered, slamming his scythe into the ground. The whole hall rumbled, and those who had weapons prepared for battle.

* * *

"Haha! We won! Take that, scary pink scythe guy!" Donald chortled after Marluxia had vanished.

"I suppose you could say that you won." Marluxia mused, reappearing before the group.

"Wha...hey!" Donald growled.

"What you just defeated was nothing more than an imitation of me." Marluxia said.

"So what?" Riku growled, slicing at the new Marluxia with his sword. However, that Marluxia merely vanished as well.

"Grr...another trick..."

"Where do you suppose the real Marluxia is?" Goofy asked.

"I'd say he's behind this really huge ominous door." Sora stated.

"Good thinking!" Goofy chuckled.

"But...whatever's in there is powerful. I can feel it." Sora said softly.

"Let's take him DOWN!" Donald roared.

"Riku...take care of Naminé."

"What?" Riku asked, stunned.

"You don't want to?" Sora asked.

"Oh course I do! Good luck in there!"

"Okay...let's do this!"

Sora walked towards the large, ominous door and pulled at the giant handle. Donald walked over to help, and so did Goofy. With their conbined efforts, the door pulled open, and the trio walked inside.

"Maybe we overestimated Marluxia." Sora said as they entered. Everything was pitch black, making it hard to see.

"GOOFY! You stepped on my foot!"

"Sorry, Donald..."

Behind them, the door snapped shut, making it even darker.

"Great. Just great. We were tricked. Now we're going to rot in here forever!" Donald wailed.

"Oh, grow up. Do you here something?" Sora asked.

A soft rumbling noise seemed to be coming out of the darkness...it grew louder, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy huddled closer together.

"Drown in the heart-lorn world of nothingness!" Boomed Marluxia's voice. "I shall scatter your heart to the empty winds!"  
"I think that's our cue to start battle." Sora said meekly, drawing out his Keyblade.

* * *

"So she's the reason why you're here with me..."

"Pretty much. She brought me to Vexen...I NEARLY beat her in our stupid battle, but she teleported me away..._cheater_..."

"Well, she's gone now. So, are you feeling better?"

"NO! I'll NEVER forgive Sora!"

"Uhh...why?"

"He beat her! I never got to get my revenge!"

"Corita, Sora just - what just happened?"

Riku and Corita had nearly reached the next door to the next world when Riku stopped. Corita, who'd been walking next to him, stopped as well.

"One of the scents has died..." Corita whispered. "GAH! I SHOULDN'T be able to tell that! Reason 782 why I hate Larxene!"

"It was a really strong one..." Riku responded.

"Really strong? Then we know it wasn't Axel." Corita said lightly.

"That was Marluxia, the keeper of the castle." Echoed a calm voice. Riku and Corita lept back slightly when they saw another robed figure appear before the stairs. He had silver hair, somewhat darker than Riku's, that hung over half of his face. His eyes were slightly darker than his hair. His voice, while calm, held strength and cunning. He looked down at Riku and Corita with serenity.

"Perhaps I should say ex-keeper." He said smoothly. "The Keyblade Master just finished him off."

"The Keyblade Master?" Corita asked eagerly. The new figure looked down at Corita's bright face. "Do you want to see him?"

"Of course!" Corita said.

"I'm sorry. Perhaps I should say, can you face him?"

"Wha...?" Corita asked, stunned at this sudden statement.

"Sora's fate is to battle the darkness. As the hero of light, he must oppose hosts of the darkness...in other words, you two."

"Stop it! Sora wouldn't care! Sora wouldn't care if I plunged into the darkness's deepest depths of my own free will!" Corita roared.

"If you don't believe me, then see for yourself." The man said. He reached into one of his robe's pockets and pulled out a card. He threw it in Riku's direction, but Corita snatched it out of the air before Riku could.

"We'll do just that." Corita snarled.

"Hey...Corita! This card..." Riku stammered, pointing to it. Corita looked at it as well, and let out a gasp.

"This is our..."

"Yes. Your home." The man said.

Corita looked back up at him. "What's your name?"

"I am called Zexion." He said calmly. With that, he vanished into thin air.

"Zexion, huh? Another robed freak with an 'x' in their name..."

"We should probably do what he says..." Riku muttered.

"Uh huh. Well, let it be known now that I don't like his scent. There's something different about it..."

"I thought you didn't like the fact that you could read scents?"

"GAH! Reason 782 why I hate Larxene! How could I forget?"

"So, what are the other 781 reasons?"

* * *

"Out! Out! Out!" Sora cried as he, Donald, and Goofy ran for the exit. The room was shaking and the door was within sight.  
Donald and Goofy ran out in front of Sora, and Sora made it out just in time. The door (which had reopened after they'd defeated Marluxia for whatever reason) closed again, and Sora turned around to face it. The door began to glow.

"It's...a Keyhole..." Donald whispered as the faint outline of a Keyhole glowed on the door.

"I know just what to do about that." Sora said cheerfully. Holding up the Keyblade, a beam of light shot out from the end of it. It entered the bright Keyhole, and a soft clicking noise filled the hall.

"Are you okay, Riku?" Sora asked after he'd lowered his Keyblade.

"I'm not Riku. I'm fake." Riku said grimly as the trio approached him and Naminé. "I can't remember when I was created, or why...all I've got left are you and Naminé. Even so, those memories aren't real."

"Naminé, can't you put Riku's memories back to normal?" Goofy asked sadly.

Naminé shook her head. "It...it doesn't work that way."

Riku turned from the group and started heading for the stairs. "Don't worry about me."

"Riku, wait!" Sora called, running towards him. "It doesn't matter if someone made you! Your heart...your feelings...they're yours. They're special!"

"Sora..." Riku said softly, turning around again to face him. "Thank you. I don't have to be real to see that you're a good person. That's good enough for me."

Riku turned around again and headed down the stairs. Sora, although slightly discouraged, turned back and began walking towards Donald, Goofy and Naminé, who were deep in conversation.

"Can you fix our memories?" Donald asked.

"Yes. Just because you can't remember something doesn't mean it's gone." Naminé responed.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Well...Remembering one thing leads to remembering another, and then another...Your memories are connected, like links in a chain. Those same chains are what anchor us all together." After she said this, Naminé sighed. "I don't destroy memories. I just take apart the links and rearrange them. You still have all your memories."

"So you can fix them?" Goofy asked nervously.

"First I have to undo the links I made." Naminé said. "Then I have to gather up the memories scattered in your hearts and reconnect them. It will take time."

"We've got time." Sora said, nodding and smiling.

"Wait! You said you'd have to undo the links you made!" Donald said. "That means..."

"Yes, Donald. You won't be able to recall what happened in this castle."

"Not even you?" Sora asked feebly after a few moments of silence.

"I'm sorry, Sora. You have to choose. You can lose your memories of this castle and regain those you've lost...or keep your memories here and give up the ones you've lost."

"...I have to choose?"

* * *

"Wow...I never thought I'd miss the islands winds so much..." Riku said peacefully.

"Not to mention the smell of the ocean..." Corita said happily.

"It's kind of funny...there was once a time when we couldn't wait to get out of here." Riku mentioned.

"And now we're acting all relieved to be back. Even if it isn't real..."

"Hey, look over there!" Riku said, pointing towards a trio of younger kids.

"Hey! Tidus! Selphie! Wakka!" Corita called, running towards them. The three of them didn't even seem to notice her.

"What's up, guys? I don't think I've ever seen you so quiet." Riku said coolly as he walked up next to Corita.

The three of them didn't even notice them. They simply stood there, their eyes gazing off into nothingness.

Then, they vanished.

"Guys!" Riku cried.

"They...they vanished...what's going on?" Corita asked nervously.

"Yeah, like I know." Riku said sarcastically.

"See, Riku? This is what happens when you jump headfirst into a problem: your friends start vanishing right before your eyes!"

"What? What problem did I jump headfirst into?"

"'Fighting the darkness within' if I remember correctly!"

"It sounds so corny when you say it like that..."

"WELL, MAYBE IT'S JUST A CORNY CONCEPT!"

"THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!"

"YES IT IS!"

"NO IT ISN'T!"

"YES IT IS!"

"WHAT ARE WE ACCOMPLISHING BY SHOUTING?"

"I DON'T KNOW! IT'S JUST A GOOD WAY TO VENT YOUR EMOTIONS!"

"GAH!" Riku roared, stomping off.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Corita cried, running forward to keep up. As she walked, she slipped on the fine sand underneath, and she fell into it.

"Stupid sand!" Corita roared, leaping up as fast as she could and brushing it off.

Joe: CORITA FELL IN THE SAND!  
Sora53: Maybe.  
Sora: HAHAHA!  
Corita: Why you little...  
Sora: Eep!  
Sora53: Guess what I've decided!  
Riku Fangirls: You're converting into a Riku fangirl!  
Sora53: ...no. The taste of darkness...is like the aftertaste of semisweet chocolate.  
Corita: That aftertaste is EVIL! It never goes away, and it tastes icky!  
Sora53: Exactly. MUAHAHA!  
Riku Fangirls: Soo...you're gonna be a Riku fangirl!  
Sora53: ...---


	29. Forgotten, but not lost

Sora53: Erm, yes, late chapter. Erm, yes, short chapter.  
Fans: -sigh- now we must kill you.  
Sora53: Wait! There's a reason! My mom moved the computer into the living room, so I don't get a chance to write as much.  
Corita: She did what!  
Sora53: Isn't it sad! 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own Corita and 8 puppies :D Do YOU own 8 puppies? Yep, that's what I thought.

"Riku! Wait for meeeeee!" Corita cried as she ran clumsily through the sand. "Where are you going without me! I'm supposed to be your partner it...what was it? 'Fighting the darkness within'!"

Riku, who was about 30 feet ahead of her, stopped dead in his tracks. Corita skidded to a halt to prevent yet another crash, yet in the process tumbled to the ground once again.

"STUPID SAND! STUPID CASTLE! STUPID DARKNESS!"

"...You're feeling bitter right now, aren't you?"

"What do you think?"

Riku remained silent. He surveyed Corita with a strange emotion in his eyes, unreadable by the one who was being watched by it.

"You think this whole thing is a joke, don't you?" Riku asked quietly.

"Me!" Corita roared. "You were the one using darkness in the battle against Lexaues!"

"...what...?"

"Youthought I didn't notice!"

* * *

"I've decided, Naminé." Sora said calmly after he'd thought it over in silence for a while. Naminé, startled by his sudden words, turned back to face him with a look of apprehension.

"And?"

"Put me back the was I was."

Naminé's face fell ever so slightly; still, it was full of happiness. These mixed emotions lingered as she spoke to him, "Of course! Who needs false memories, right?"

"So, how exactly are you going to do this?" Donald asked nervously.

"Simple. Follow me." Naminé said lightly. She turned away from the group and began to walk forward. Shrugging, the trio followed the blond-haired girl as she led them down another hallway.

The bright whites of the hallway seemed to dance with the blue glow from the lights and the statues of flowers. After a short walk, the hallway opened up into a much larger room. Sora, Donald, and Goofy shielded their eyes as the bright room loomed before them.

"Here they are." Naminé said merrily. She had headed over to a large contraption, shaped like an opened flower.

"What...what exactly are they for?" Donald asked.

"Well, you just hop in and they'll sort out your memories!" Naminé responded. Her mood seemed to have taken a turn for the better ever since Marluxia had been defeated. "You'll be fine. It'll take some time, but I'll take care of you."

"But when we wake up, we won't remember you anymore..." Goofy said sadly.

"Don't worry, guys!" Jiminy chirped from his perch on Donald's head. "I put a note in my journal to thank her...that way we won't forget!"

"Good night, Naminé" Goofy said brightly.

"Good night." She said happily. Goofy, Donald and Goofy headed off to the other contraptions on the other side of the huge room, leaving Sora and Naminé alone.

"You too, Sora." She whispered.

"No problem." Sora said boldly, turning to face her.

"You know, Sora...It may have started with a lie, but I'm really glad I met you."

"Yeah...me too. When I found you...even when I first remembered your name, I was so happy...the way I felt was no lie."

"Goodbye." Naminé said softly.

"No, not goodbye!" Sora said. "I'll find you again after I wake up. Then we'll be friends for real! Promise me, Naminé."

"You'll only forget." Naminé said in a slightly joking tone.

"No, never." Sora responded. "Even if you take apart the chain of memories in my heart, the links will stay there. This memory will always be inside me somewhere."

"I guess you're right." Naminé said, smiling.

"I promise I'll see you again, Naminé." Sora said with a grin. He hopped lightly into the giant flower-like machine and turned back to face Naminé.

"Sora..." Naminé muttered with a touch of bitterness. "The loose links will sink into the darkness in your heart. You won't be able to just reach in and pick the one you want. But there's another promise you made — a promise to someone you could never replace. She's your light. The light within the darkness. If you can remember her...all the memories lost in the shadows of your heart will come into the light."

"Another...promise?" Sora asked softly.

"Look at the good luck charm." Naminé said, her voice soft yet powerful. "I changed its shape when I changed your memory. But when you thought of her, it went back to the way it was. Remember..."

Sora reached deep into his pocket, and pulled out what he felt there. Everything seemed to fade away into whiteness...the only things that existed were he, Naminé (who was next to him) and the object in his pocket.

A small, star shaped charm...

Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories. Shaking his head, he tried to sort them out as they came flooding back. Before him were all his friends...Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Selphie, Tidus, Wakka...

Another familiar face floated to the surface of his memory...it was taking shape before him...crossed arms, a deep stare, silver hair, aqua eyes...Riku had joined the group of those he'd remembered.

Looking down at his palm again, Sora noticed something sticking out from behind the good luck charm. Realizing just how much stuff his giant pockets held, he moved his other hand over and lifted the charm up to see what was beneath it.  
With a pang of guilt, he realized what it was. He looked down at his Thalassa shell, the red Thalassa shell given to him by his sister...

Sister?

Tufted brown hair, sky blue eyes...the image of Corita appeared next to Riku, along with another guilty pang from Sora. How could he have forgotten them all?

In the distance, behind them all...

A teenager his age, with dark red hair and blue eyes like his...

"Kairi!" Sora yelled, and the image of Kairi nodded.

All those he'd forgotten watched him, and Sora's guilt grew. There was nothing he could do now...but never forget them again.

"Naminé?" He cried, as he turned to watch the girl next to him. She was growing fainter, her voice softer.

"Don't worry! You'll forget me..." She said calmly, "But we have our promise, so I can come back to you."

"A promise is a promise." Sora agreed.

"One day it'll be our light, the light that brings us together. I'll be in your heart until that time comes."

"I know." Sora said as he watched Naminé fade into the light. "Forgotten, but not lost."

Sora53: I cried. I sobbed.  
Fans: That's the end of Sora's story? Oo Sora Fangirls: NOOOO!  
Corita: Yay! Sora remembered me!  
Fans: -.- you just had to add in that stupid shell.  
Sora53: What, you don't want that to be the end of Sora's story? I'll sing you the credits! "Wheeeeen you walk awwaaeeeee"  
Everyone: RUN AWAY!  
Joe: I love it!  
Sora53: "REEEEGARDLESSS OF WARNINGSSSSSS..."


	30. Stories in the night

---Sora53: Contrary to popular belief, the previous chapter was not the last. You think I'd just abandon Riku and Corita like that?  
Riku Fangirls: You wouldn't if you know what's good for you...-growl-  
Joe: YEAH!  
Naminé: -sob- what about me?  
Sora53: Oh yeah, you.  
Corita: Now it's just Riku and me from here on out...no more Sora, Donald and Goofy! HAHA!  
Sora Fangirls: -growl-  
Corita: Erm...--- 

Disclaimer: I dun own KH or CoM. I own Corita and her special little hidden spot on the island. Go imagination!

Corita glared unblinking at Riku, who was looking back with a dark look in his eyes. Maybe it was her imagination, but Corita could almost see the darkness flare up as she said her last comment.

Riku turned his head away, and without another look at Corita, muttered one word, "Ansem."

Corita's stomach flopped over. She'd touched a nerve, and she knew it too well.

"I'm sorry, Riku, I didn't mean to..."

"It's not your fault." Riku said coolly.

The two walked in silence for a while, barely stealing glances at each other. Still, the island winds were hard to ignore.

"It's still hard to believe, isn't it?" Corita asked. "Everything's the same as when we left."

"With the minor removal of our friends." Riku said in his irritatingly calm voice.

"Yeah, there's that." Corita mumbled. "Shouldn't we spend some time on the island before we find Zexion? It's such a nice day..."

Riku stopped and looked at Corita. Her bright eyes shined with excitment, unwilling to accept refusal. Riku sighed, yet gave it.

"Yay!" Corita squealed.

"Corita, you sound like a little kid."

"I don't care! I haven't been on the island in a long time and I've missed it. Haven't you?"

"Of course, but that doesn't mean..."

"Let's go!" Corita cried, running forward.

"Corita! Wait!" Riku called, following behind. They ran along the long stretch of beach of beach, and  
Corita headed up the small bridge and towards a steep, winding path. Muttering under his breath, Riku followed the crazed Healer up the path. After following this path for a few minutes, Riku finally reached the top.

All around him, the ocean was visible. The small circular area was barren, with a few tufts of grass and coconuts scattered on the ground. Sitting against the coconut tree, staring out to sea, was Corita.

"You're not allowed up here, you know." Corita said softly. "Girl's only."

Riku gave a rare chuckle, and moved over to the tree. "This is your special place, right?"

"It hasn't changed a bit. Just like you." Corita added grimly. Riku sat down, leaning his back against the tree as well. The sun was beginning to set on the island, casting a beautiful glow over the trees and sand below.

It was a while before either of them spoke. They were busy feeling the wind blow, brushing their hair back and bringing the scent of the ocean to where they sat.

Even it it was only an illusion.

"Tell me about your journey." Riku said.

Corita's head jerked at Riku's sudden question. She turned her head to look at him. "You mean, my journey with Sora? Why?"

"Despite what I said about wanting to see more worlds, that night on the islands...I never got to see them. Even in this castle, what I saw wasn't real..."

Corita's heart sank; she couldn't help feeling bad for him. He'd wanted so badly to see other worlds, experience something new...yet all he did was open his heart to darkness and become Ansem's pawn.

"I suppose it started when we landed in Traverse Town..."

* * *

"You got your own hotel?" Riku asked curiously.

"I guess you could say that. The owner went crazy and gave the place to me. We kinda destroyed half the beds that night by jumping on them too much."

"Sounds like you had a good time."

"It was fun..." Corita said in a sad tone. "Me, Donald, Goofy...and Sora. I'm not boring you, am I?"

"No, of course not." Riku said. The sun had long since set, and the only noise besides their voices was the waves crashing into the island far below. "Keep going."

"Well, then we headed out for Neverland...but we were kinda stopped on the way there..."

"By the Heartless."

"Yeah. They teleported us to the pirate ship...Donald and Goofy were down below with me, but Sora fell from the deck for some reason."

Riku shifted uncomfortably on the ground. Corita turned to where he was sitted, even though she could barely make out his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Riku sighed. "I...I was just showing off. Maleficent had helped me find Kairi, and I had to show him how I was better...how I had won...how darkness had helped me."

Silence echoed in the air for a short time, but Corita grinned after a short time...a grin that couldn't be seen in the night.

"Don't worry, Riku. Everything'll clear up soon. Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"Please." Riku said. Corita was glad that he wasn't dwelling on the past at the moment, so she searched her memory for the story he wanted to hear.

"Well, we met Peter Pan in the ship's hold, and we headed out into the ship. In one room, we found Wendy, the girl Peter Pan was looking for, and she said there was another girl in there, so we assumed it was Kairi. We split up and headed into different rooms to look for them..."

Corita stopped, wondering if she should continue. Riku's face showed no emotion, so it was hard to say if this part of the story should be skipped or recited.

"Then I kidnapped you." Riku said, continuing the story for her.

"Er, right. After that, I woke up in that dungeon, and Jiminy helped break me out. We made our way though that annoying castle, and at the Rising Falls...erm..."

"I stole your friends, your brother's Keyblade and his dignity."

"Erm...right."

The story continued in this fashion, with frequent stops and 'erms' by Corita, which were promptly filled in by Riku. When Corita reached the point where she told him about reaching Castle Oblivion, Riku stopped her.

"The sun is rising." He said serenly. "You've been talking all night."

"All night?" Corita asked, amazed.

"Well, you stopped a lot, what with the 'erms' and all."

"Erm...right."

"Well, it's summer. The nights aren't that long on the island."

"How do you know it's summer?"

"That's how I remember the islands. Long, lazy summer days...short night...the sunrise always used to wake me up."

"Sora hated it when the sun woke him up." Corita commented. "I was an early riser, but Sora hated getting out of bed. Our mom usually had to drag him out."

"Lazy Sora." Riku joked. He and Corita laughed, and Riku stood up.

"Well, we aren't going to get anywhere sitting here." He said.

"Right." Corita said, staring out to sea where the sun was slowly climbing in the eastern sky.

"Here." Riku offered, extending his gloved hand down. Corita grabbed it, and he pulled her up.

"Thanks." She said as she brushed some sand out of her hair.

"No problem." He said kindly. "Back down that path we go..."

Riku headed towards the path, expecting to hear Corita's footsteps behind him. A moment later, the silent island rang with Corita's coughing.

"Corita! Are you alright?" Riku asked, turning back to her. She had one arm supporting her on the coconut tree, and she was covering her mouth with the other, coughing loudly.

"I'm...fine..." She said slowly, moving her arm away from the tree. "Must've just gotten some sand in my throat or something weird like that."

"O-okay." Riku said, unsure. She took a few uneasy steps towards him, and slowly sat down on a large rock near him.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a bit dizzy...I'll be fine in a minute."

"Coughing? Dizzy?" Riku said, frowning. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course!" She said boldly, standing back up. "See, I'm already fine! It was just a fluke or something! I don't get sick!"

"Sure." Riku said, rolling his eyes and turning back to the path.

Sora53: The previous chappie may have been the end of Sora's story...but this is just the beginning of Corita's story!  
Joe: Corita's story? How do I unlock THAT version in CoM?  
Sora53: Beat Sora and Riku mode 53 times each .  
Joe: ANYTHING FOR CORITA! -grabs GBA-  
Corita: Joe, you know she's lying, right?  
Sora: Yay! I just beat Corita's story on CoM!  
Corita: O.o what? WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AT THE END?  
Sora: Umm...I forgot! -runs away screaming-  
Corita: SORA! GET BACK HERE!  
Naminé: Aww, siblings! -sniff-


	31. Darkness, awaken!

---Sora53: One of the dun dun parts of the game turned into a dun dun dun chappie!  
Fans: Oh no, not again.  
Corita: GAH! STUPID SORA!  
Naminé: O.o what's wrong?  
Corita: LOOK! -points-  
Sora: Ha! I beat Corita mode again! Man, this sure is fun!  
Corita: SORA! GIVE ME THE GAME!  
Sora: No way! It took me 3 months beating the other two modes 53 times!  
Corita: GAHHHH! -takes out staff-  
Sora: O.o Oh dear. -runs away screaming-  
Everyone: -Watches Sora being chased by Corita-  
Joe: ...I thought Sora was sleeping?--- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own Corita and nothing else. FEAR HER! O.o (sugar high .)

It wasn't long after they'd reached the end of the path that Corita was hit by another dizzy spell. Riku watched and listened in silence as Corita ranted at him.

"I'm fine, nothing's wrong with me...stop looking at me with pity!"

Riku merely watched as Corita grumbled and, rubbing her head, stood up again and continued to walk.

"I'm probably just tired...talking all night..." She said softly as they moved towards the bridge that led to the small island with the Paupu Tree.

"Riku...Riku, it's Kairi!" Corita yelled, pointing a finger at the small island. Riku looked to where she was pointing, and saw the red-haired teen staring out to the sea.

"You're right! Kairi!" Riku called, running towards her.

As Riku reached her, she didn't turn to him. She looked as if she didn't even notice him.  
"Kairi...don't tell me you —"

As he said these words, Kairi vanished before his eyes. He blinked a few times, to make sure he hadn't imagined it, and stretched out his hand. When his hand reached the open air where Kairi had been, he jerked it back as Corita reached him.

"Ah...no, no no!" He cried.

Corita and Riku stood together, and Corita put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Their sadness, however, wasn't to be without another figure.

"Surely you knew this would happen." Zexion said coolly.

Riku and Corita spun around, finding that he'd appeared behind them.

Riku glared at him, and growled, "Why would I know that?"

"You've been to a number of worlds in your memory before this one." Zexion explained in his calm tone. "And in those worlds, you met only dark beings. That's all that's left in your heart: dark memories. Your memories of home are gone — each and every one."

"So what do you call me?" Corita asked angrily. "A not-memory and a not-not dark memory?"

Riku turned to her with a confused look on his face, but Zexion's expression remained calm.

"That is different." He said. "You are here with him, while the others are mere memories now. Forgotten memories...much like how your brother forgot about you."

Corita's anger flared, but Riku spoke quickly before she could tackle him.

"You're lying." He growled. "I remember everyone from the islands! Wakka and Tidus and Selphie...Kairi and Sora, too! They're my...they're my...friends..."

"And who threw away those friends? Maybe it's your own actions that you forgot. You destroyed your home!"

When Zexion had finished speaking, the calm summer day changed; the entire area went dark, the sun gone. Whirling around wildly, dark clouds were seen in the sky above, and the island they stood on was suddenly scattered with broken wooden boards and fallen coconuts.

"This is...that night!" Riku realized as a sick feeling set in his stomach. Corita backed away, nervously looking around.

"The islands you grew up on were sundered, scattered... Many hearts were lost to the darkness. Because of what YOU did!" Zexion yelled, but he didn't need to speak too loudly to get his point across. Riku shivered slightly with guilt, and he looked towards the Paupu Tree. With a jolt, he realized that another Riku was standing there, the very memory of himself that night.

"No..."

" You hated being an islander, cut off from other worlds. So you opened the door to darkness and destroyed the islands. YOU did that! And now you belong to the darkness. Look at what you are!"

The other Riku, who'd been staring out to sea with longing in his eyes, turned back to face the trio. As he turned, darkness surrounded him, and he became enveloped in it. The darkness began to expand, to grow.

In at almost instantaneous flash, darkness surrounded the group. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When it had faded, Riku and Corita were left, staring up at a dark, towering figure.

"It's Darkside...the darkness in your heart...Sora had to fight his, too!" Corita said, remembering what had happened that fateful night on the islands.

"This...this can't be me!" Riku called over the rushing of the wind.

"Doesn't matter!" Corita yelled as she dodged a swipe of Darkside's clawed hand. "Let's just get him!"

Without another moment's hesitation, Riku whipped out his sword and Corita pulled out her staff.

* * *

The battle against Darkside was easier with two people fighting it; it was defeated rather quickly. It seemed to evaporate into a dark smoke, and vanished into the air. When it had faded away entirely, Riku and Corita stood together, staring up at where it had vanished to. The island around them was still dark, and the silence was rather unnerving.

A flash of silver, red and gold...

Riku and Corita were suddenly knocked to the ground, and a strong pain flashed across their backs. Scrambling to their knees, they looked behind them, and saw exactly what had struck them.  
Sora's Keyblade, shining even in the darkness, was held by none other than it's master. Sora was gripping it tightly, watching them with a bright gleam in his eyes.

"Sora?" Corita gasped.

"Sora, what are you..." Riku started to say, but he didn't get to finish. Sora made a sudden attack, but he was blocked by Riku. He and Corita scrambled to their feet, and ran to the middle of the island. Sora, who stood on the far end, watched the pair, glaring at them.

"Stop it, Sora!" Corita screeched.

"Don't you recognize us?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, I recognize you." Sora said in a cold voice. "I can see exactly what you've become!"

Sora cautiously walked closer to them, and Riku and Corita held up their weapons to defend themselves. Sora, however, stuck too quickly, and they were both knocked down.

"Gahh!" Riku roared as Sora stood over them.

"Look at you two, shrinking away from the light...You're just pawns of the darkness. So be it. It's time for you to face the light!"

"Sora, no!" Corita cried, but her words went unnoticed. Sora shot a blast of light out of his Keyblade towards them, and they were engulfed in it. Sora's form vanished before them...the island vanished soon after.

"I'm...fading..." Riku said as he hung alone in the light. "Consumed by the light..."

"You won't fade." A comforting voice said through the light. Riku blinked a few times, and the blurry form of Kairi appeared before him.

"You can't fade. No power can defeat you...not the light, not the dark. Don't run from the light — and don't fear the darkness. Both will make you stronger."

"Darkness, too?" Riku asked.

"Yes...especially darkness. That power is yours alone. The darkness in your heart is vast and deep...but if you can stare into it unflinching, you'll never know fear again." Kairi said cheerfully.

"But all this time, I've been pushing the darkness away..."

"Don't worry about that. Just be brave. Know that the darkness is there and don't give in. Do that, and you'll gain strength unlike any other. You'll be able to escape the deepest darkness —"

"— and I'll be able to see through the brightest light..."

"Follow the darkness, Riku." Kairi said strongly. "It, along with the light, will show you the way to your lost friends."

"The question is..." Riku muttered sadly, "can I face them?"

Kairi gave a soft giggle, and Riku's heart soared. He never realized how much he missed her laugh.

"You don't want to?" She asked playfully.

"You know I do." Riku said boldly. "And I will! The darkness — MY darkness — will show me the way!"

Kairi faded away into the light, and Riku was left alone. "Darkness, awaken!" He roared, and he could feel the darkness flowing through him...

The next thing he knew, he was back on the island, with his dark clothes on and his sword gripped tightly in his fist. He lashed out at Sora, who was knocked backwards towards the Paupu Tree.

"Im-impossible!" Sora cried. As he spoke, his voice seemed to change. It became darker, yet calmer, in a way...in a few moments, a bright flash surrounded him, and Zexion was kneeling in pain where Sora had been moments before.

"How could you find me in the light?" Zexion growled.

"You reek of the dark." Riku growled, edging towards him. "Even the light can't block out the smell. I followed the darkness right to you."

Zexion slowly got to his feet, and looked down at Riku. Riku was standing 15 feet away, glaring at him with hatred in his eyes.

"Heheh..." Zexion laughed quietly. "After all your protests you're still just another darkling."

"I know what I am." Riku snarled.

"Since when? You were terrified of the dark before..."

"I'm not now!" Riku roared. In a flash, he had struck Zexion again.

"Graah...hypocrite!" Zexion growled. In another flash, he'd vanished, and Riku was left staring at the area he'd been moments before.

Riku slowly lowered his weapon. "He got away." He growled bitterly. Turning around to follow the bridge off the Paupu Tree's island, he spotted something.

Corita was standing next to a coconut tree near the exit, watching him with fear in her eyes.

Sora53: Um, dun du-HEY!  
Fans: -are wearing earplugs-  
Sora53: You have to listen to my dun dun duns! If you don't, I'll lose mah ficcy writing powers!  
Everyone: -puts in earplugs-  
Sora53: O.o NOOOOOO! -vanishes-  
Joe: She's finally gone! -magically reappears next to Corita- You're free of your contract!  
Corita: O.o SORA53 COME BACK!  
Sora53: I'm appreciated! -reappears-  
Corita: Not really. You're just cooler than Joe.  
Joe: I WILL WIN YOUR HEART!  
Naminé: Dun dun dun for darkness! YAY!  
Everyone: O.o  
Fans: She's scary...---


	32. A king, an enigma, and a dizzy teenager

---Sora53: Oh, the suspense! The new characters (though not really new...) the drama! The foreshadowing! The DIZZY!  
Corita: -.- Stupid Sora53.  
Naminé: Don't worry, Corita! Everything'll fall into place eventually.  
Joe:...or maybe not.  
Sora53: No, everything will. If I leave my crazed fans hanging...I think they'll attack O.o  
Fans: Maybe not attack...just chase. GET HER!  
Sora53: No! I refuse to be chased away again!  
Everyone: -gasp- --- 

Disclaimer: -.- Me dun own KH or CoM. Me only own Corita. -points to Corita- See her? That ficcy character over there? Yeah.

Riku didn't know what to say. He looked down at himself, then back up at Corita. Corita's gaze had softened somewhat, and she slowly took a step forward.

"Corita..." Riku said slowly, but Corita stopped moving towards him and held up her hand to silence him.

"Don't." Corita said solemnly. "It's your choice...it's not like I can change your mind for you."

Riku smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem." Corita said, grinning. "Besides, no matter what your choices, I have to go with you. I made a promise."

"A promise?" Riku asked, surprised.

"You don't remember?" Corita asked with a smile. "That night...when you saved me. I promised that if you were ever in danger, I'd save you."

"Me? In danger? How am I in danger?" Riku asked.

"You still have Ansem stalking you."

"...Oh, that."

* * *

"What, what IS he?" Zexion roared as he kneeled in pain in the lowest basement of Castle Oblivion. "No one's ever worn the darkness the way he does...It's IMPOSSIBLE!"

As Zexion yelled to the empty room, Axel appeared behind him. Zexion heard him approaching, and whipped around.

"Ahh! Riku?" Zexion roared as he saw the person standing next to Axel.

Riku crossed his arms and glared at Zexion, and Axel's eyes flashed dangerously in Zexion's direction.

Zexion smiled. "Yes, of course...Vexen's replica...good thinking, Axel! We can use him to defeat the real Riku."

Axel didn't respond to Zexion. He looked down at the Riku replica with a wide grin.

"Say, Riku." Axel said. "It must be hard now that you know you're not real. I bet you'd LIKE to be real."

"Yeah." the Riku replica said as he moved towards Zexion.

"Well, you can. All you need is strength that the real Riku doesn't have." Axel said as he moved forward with Riku. "Get that, and you can be a new person, your OWN person. Not Riku, not anybody else. You won't be someone else's copy. You'll be you."

"Axel! What are you talking about?" Zexion cried.

Axel pointed to Zexion, still looking down at Riku. "You know," Axel said, "I bet he's as good a place to start as any."

"Axel! Have you lost your mind!" Zexion roared in fear.

"Sorry, Zexy." Axel said solemnly. "Saving you doesn't seem half as entertaining as observing Sora, Riku, and Vexie's failed experiment."

Riku moved slowly towards Zexion. Zexion's eyes opened wide in fear as the Riku replica came closer.

"No...stop!"

* * *

Riku, who had returned to his normal appearance, was walking up the next hallway in Castle Oblivion with Corita in silence. They'd left the Destiny Islands with hardly as much stalling as when they'd entered.

Suddenly, Riku stopped. Corita was about a foot ahead of him now, and she turned around to see what he was doing.

"Riku, what's wrong?" Corita asked.

"Shh..." Riku whispered. Corita listened to the still air in the castle hallway, and then she heard it.

_"Riku...Riku..."  
_  
"Who is that?" Corita cried, leaping back behind Riku.

"I know that voice..." Riku said quietly.

_" know you can feel it, Riku —"_ The voice said. The voice was growing louder, more clear as it spoke. _"the grip I have on your heart. You've let the darkness in. And all-consuming darkness is what your heart shall become!"  
_  
"No! I'm not like that anymore!" Riku roared.

_"I think you are..."_

Riku was backing up slowly, moving back to where Corita stood 5 feet away. Before he reached her, however, he was suddenly lifted into the air.

"Riku...why are you floating?" Corita asked, dazed.

"I...I can't move!" Riku cried.

_"The deeper the darkness runs in you, the stronger I become. Controlling your body is an effortless task."  
_  
Riku was floating in the air, Corita was watching in with fear, and Ansem's voice was growing louder as he spoke. Then, an energy ball floated down from the ceiling again, down to Riku. It circled around him, and Ansem's voice said angrily, _"Graah... You, interfering again!"  
_  
Riku began to descend to the floor, and Corita ran over to him. The energy ball floated to the floor, and Ansem's voice faded away.

"Golly, I'm glad I made it in time!" A different voice said. This one was much friendlier than Ansem's. "That should keep Ansem tied up for a while!"

In a bright flash of light, the energy ball had taken a different form. The person who'd protected Riku appeared, and he stepped towards the two.

"Sorry I couldn't make it sooner, Riku." He said lightly.

"Your Majesty, it's you!" Riku cried joyfully. He lept away from Corita, who was watching the two closely.

"You betcha!"

"So, this is what King Mickey looks like close-up." Corita said, grinning. "Last time I saw you, you were closing the door to darkness with my hard-headed brother."

Mickey looked away from Riku, who was poking him in the ear, and looked up at Corita. "So, you're Corita? Nice to meet ya!"

"The pleasure is mine." Corita said with a smile.

"You can just call me Micke— Riku, what are you doing?" Mickey asked curiously.

"Poking you in the ear." Riku said simply. "Just making sure you're real this time."

"Yup! No illusions!" Mickey said with a huge grin. "I promised I'd come, didn't I?"

"How did you get here, Your Majesty? I thought you were really far away." Riku said.

"This card showed me the way." Mickey said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shimmering card. I was lookin' for the way out of the realm of darkness, and then this card came along. As soon as I picked it up, it showed me your heart, waaay out beyond the darkness. And that's how I tracked you down. I guess the card thought it belonged with you."

"Maybe you're right." Riku said, taking the card from Mickey.  
"Of course he's right!" Corita said cheerfully. "He's the _king_!"

"You sound like Goofy." Mickey chuckled.

"Corita! Show some more respect for His Majesty!" Riku said loudly.

"Cool down, Riku. Do you mind, Your Majesty?" Corita asked humbly.

"No, of course not. You can both just call me Mickey." He said.

"Alright, Mickey." Riku said akwardly. "I should use that card you gave me."

"Riku's a bit humble." Corita whispered to Mickey.

Riku wheeled around. "I'm not humble! I'm...respectful of my superiors!"

At this, Mickey and Corita burst out into laughter. Face glowing bright red, Riku turned on the spot and marched up to the door to the next world.

"Wait for us!" Corita cried and, still laughing, ran up the steps with Mickey to reach Riku.

* * *

"What the? Where are we now?" Riku wondered aloud as the light that had surrounded him as he teleported into the next world faded. Your Maj...Mickey, do you know where we are?"

Riku turned around, expecting to see Corita and Mickey (probably snickering about him being 'respectful of his superiors'), but only Corita stood there (with a dazed look on her face.

"Corita? Have you seen Mickey?"

"No..." She said, dizzy. "But I feel like I did when we came down from my secret place on the Destiny Islands...like I've been hit in the head with a few dozen coconuts..."

"Do you know where we are?"

"Hmm...I'll tell you as soon as everything stops spinning."

"His Majesty is not here." Said a cold voice behind them. Riku spun around as fast as he could, nearly knocking poor Corita over in the process, who was rubbing her head and trying to get everything into focus. The area flashed a bright white, and someone appeared before Riku and Corita.

"Oh, look..." Corita said, still dazed. "It's Ansem."

"Nice observation there, Corita." Riku whispered to her.

"Huh...everything's...twilight..." She said, spinning around.

Riku watched her for a moment in pity, then realized who was behind him. He spun around to face Ansem, who was grinning at him.

"You must battle me and the darkness alone!"

"Hey..." Corita said, moving towards the two. "He's not alone...as long as I'm here!"

Riku grimaced. Corita having another dizzy attack wasn't exactly his plan when he was facing Ansem. Riku drew his sword and prepared to fight, and for a few moments he stood still, holding his sword above his head. Then, he lowered it.

"You're not Ansem." Riku said slowly.

Ansem's face contorted with shock, and then it turned to a sly smile.

"You...with you, it's not darkness I smell, it's...something else." Riku said slowly. "I know...You're the one who guided me when this all started. You pretended to be Ansem and gave me the card, to make me face the darkness."

Ansem nodded, and smiled again. "Correct"

In another bright flash, the one who'd appeared as Ansem moments before had changed shape. Riku watched in awe as another man appeared in front of him.

"Call me DiZ — it's as good a name as any. I've been watching you all along."

"Why? Who are you really? Why have you been watching me?" Riku questioned.

DiZ looked at Riku serenly. "I want you to chose."

"Choose?"

"You are special. You exist between light and dark. You stand in the twilight. I want you to meet Naminé, then choose."

"Naminé? Who's that?"

"You'll just have to meet her and find out." DiZ replied calmly.

In a final bright flash, DiZ vanished.

"Wait!" Riku cried, but it was no use. DiZ was gone. Corita walked up to Riku, a frown on her face.

"Riku...something's wrong with me."

"What?" He asked, tearing his mind away from his and DiZ's conversation for a moment. "What's wrong?"

Joe: OH NO! WHAT'S WRONG WITH CORITA!  
Corita: Maybe it's the fact that I'm getting dizzy from walking.  
Sora: Corita, I told you to cut down on the caffinated soda and candy bars!  
Corita: -sob- they're just so good!  
Naminé: -holds up contract- you can't have them. It's in your contract.  
Corita: grr...-blasts contract into oblivion-  
Riku Fangirls: Go Riku, go Riku...  
Sora53: -throws candy bars at them- QUIET!  
Riku Fangirls: Hey, we wanted grape lollipops!  
Sora53: -.- -throws cherry lollipops at the fangirls-  
Riku Fangirls: NO! SIGN OF SORA! NOOOOO! -melts---


	33. Failed experiment

---Sora53: Muahaha!  
Fans: Oh no, not the muahaha laugh.  
Sora53: What's wrong with the muahaha laugh?  
Joe: It's usually followed by a dun dun dun.  
Naminé: And dun dun duns are followed by...  
Corita: ...the Riku fangirls chasing you.  
Riku Fangirls: What? We're needed!  
Sora53: O.o oh no.--- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM! I'm soooo poor! -sob-

"Whaddya mean, 'what's wrong'?" Corita cried. "Me, nearly fainting every 5 minutes and you ask me what's wrong!"

"Sorry." Riku said coolly. "You're the one who said that something was wrong with you when it was pretty obvious."

"This is...true." Corita said. "Well, it's just..."

Then she fainted.

"Corita!" Riku cried as he held out his arms to catch her. "Corita! Wake up! What's wrong with you?"

Corita didn't respond. Riku saw that she was breathing peacefully, so he laid her down gently on the ground.

"This is great..." Riku muttered to himself. "Corita fainting...Ansem on the attack...and that DiZ wants me to _choose_ things."

Riku sighed and sat down next to Corita. He knew that it wouldn't be any good to move her, so he took this time to observe his surroundings. They were in a town, not unlike Traverse Town. This town, however, was shrouded in twilight, and a peaceful sense seemed to seep from every building, every street corner. Despite this peaceful feeling, Riku could sense that there were Heartless about, and his hand moved to the handle of his sword, should anything happen. Riku stole a glance back at Corita, wondering when she's come around. He wasn't a very patient person, but he knew he had no choice but to wait.

* * *

Yawning, Corita stretched her arms and sat up. Blinking a few times, she looked around the town where she was sitting. Looking to her side, she saw that Riku was sitting on the ground as well, leaning his back against a stone ledge.

"Riku!" Corita said, but he didn't respond. "Hello?"

She started poking him in the head, which seemed to work. With a wide yawn, Riku's eyes opened and he looked at Corita.

"Corita! You're awake!" Riku said happily.

"Yeah! I guess all I needed was a nap or something."

"That's good."

"Yeah, we should probably get going...Riku...why are you staring at me like that?" Corita asked nervously.

Riku was indeed staring at Corita. Something had changed...something was different...

Riku sniffed, and Corita's scent filled his nostrils. A sweet, friendly smell...full of laughter and life...but missing one key thing that had filled it for so long...

"Corita..." Riku said slowly, looking into her eyes. It was the same there...the darkness that had plauged them for so long was gone, and her bright blue eyes shined at him in the twilight.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that? ...You're creeping me out."

"That experiment on you was done by Vexen, right?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather not think..."

"Was Vexen a _good_ scientist?" Riku asked.

"What? Well, he was talking with Marluxia about how one of his experiments had failed, so I guess he kinda stunk..."

"Corita, I don't know how to tell you this..." Riku said slowly, "but I think you're a failed experiment."

* * *

"This is just great!" Corita moaned as she and Riku walked along the streets of Twilight Town. "If I had to be an experiment, couldn't I have at least been a _good_ one?"

"That's an interesting way of looking at it."

"Now, not only am I an experiment, I'm a _FAILED_ experiment!" Corita cried in dismay.

"Hmm...I guess those dizzy attacks were just side effects of the darkness fading away..." Riku said thoughtfully. "Since you didn't let the darkness in yourself, it must've not had a firm enough grip."

"...and the light in my heart kicked it out! Go light, go light..." Corita sang, doing a dance.

"Hehehe."

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"I can still see you."

"What? Of course you can still see me! I haven't turned invisible or anything..."

"Maleficent said that I could only see people of the darkness...a long time ago, before you popped out of nowhere."

"Nowhere?" Corita said. "It wasn't my fault! Besides, I still have darkness in my heart...everyone does."

"True." Riku said. "Right now, we should concentrate on finding Mickey, DiZ, and Naminé."

"What? Naminé? Why are we looking for her?" Corita asked.

"Follow me." Riku said softly.

"Fine! Don't answer my question!" Corita said bitterly. She slowly began to follow Riku, who'd gotten a bit ahead of her.

* * *

"Riku...I feel like I know this town."

"What? This place?" Riku asked in surprise. "How would you know it?"

"I don't know. I've never been here, but everything feels familiar..."

"Maybe you're still dizzy. Do you need to rest?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Maybe Naminé is in there..." Riku said slowly as they approached a large gate. Beyond the gate, a large building was clearly visible. Riku and Corita stared at it, and Riku began trying to find a way to open the gate.

"Hold it, Real Thing." Came Riku's voice from behind them.

Riku and Corita whirled around, and saw Riku standing there. Corita blinked a few times, and then remembered that this Riku was a copy of the Riku next to her...another of Vexen's experiments.

"Not you again." Riku sighed.

"You've certainly changed." Riku Replica said coolly as he approached them. "You used to be afraid of the darkness, but not anymore."

"How do you know?" Riku asked.

"Because I'm you." Riku Replica said calmly.

"No, I'M me." Riku said angrily.

Riku Replica gave a short laugh. "'I'm me' he says. It must be nice, being real."

"You're real, too." Corita said. "Well, sort of."

"No, I'm not. Everything I feel...everything I know...it's all fake!"

"That's not true!" Corita cried.

"Save it. I thought by finding some new strength I could be someone, someone who's not you!" Riku Replica said angrily to Riku. "But nothing changes... I'm still just empty! Everything about me is borrowed. As long as you're around, I'll never be anything better than a shadow!"

Sora53: DUN DUN DUN!  
Everyone: Yeah, that fit.  
Sora53: What? You thought the dun dun dun actually fit in there?  
Fans: Yep. All hail Sora53.  
Naminé: You're the greatest!  
Joe: You RULE!  
Corita: You're the greatest writer ever!  
Sora Fangirls: Let's hear it for Sora53!  
Everyone: -wild applause-  
Sora53: What is WRONG with you people? -runs away screaming-  
Riku Fangirls: Well, that was easy. Who wants ice cream?  
Everyone: WE DO!---


	34. The twins reunite

---Sora53: -hands out party hats- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  
Naminé: ...whose birthday is it?  
Sora53: Coritas!  
Corita: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  
Naminé: And no darkness!  
Corita: Well, that won't do. -blasts a random lawn gnome into oblivion-  
Everyone: O.o  
Sora53: It's the 2-year anniversary of when I wrote the first chapter of Twin Hearts!  
Everyone: PARTY!  
Sora/Riku Fangirls: WAR!--- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM. I own the 2-year-old Corita. PARTY!

Before Riku or Corita could respond to this statement, Riku Replica grabbed his sword, identical to the real Riku's.

"Stop!" Corita cried.

"You stay out of this." Riku Replica snarled.

"Hehe, you know what's funny? I remember someone telling me that once...he looked a lot like you." Corita said sweetly as she grabbed her staff. "There was only one difference...he was _real_!"

Riku Replica slashed at her, but she blocked him with her staff. Riku rushed over with his sword, and Corita stood back and watched the fight...the fight between the real and the fake Riku.

* * *

"I guess this is how it ends..." Riku Replica said bitterly as he lay on the ground in exhaustion. Riku was standing over him, panting heavily. The battle had been long, but Riku had come out victorious. Corita, who'd been watching, had had a hard time telling the Rikus apart in the blur of battle, but she now stared down at Riku Replica with pity.

"I suppose it isn't all bad." Riku Replica said calmly. "I was never real...even what I'm feeling now is probably fake. I never had a real heart..."

"What are you feeling?" Corita asked curiously.

"What happens when someone who's not real dies?" Riku Replica asked with a touch of fear in his voice. "Where will my heart go? That is, if it doesn't disappear completely..."

Riku and Corita thought this over for a few moments.

"It'll probably go to the same place our hearts will go." Corita said simply.

"That's so original."

"It's the truth." Corita said. "When Vexen did that experiment on me, I didn't know what had happened to me...but I still had the same heart. You were created by Vexen...we're two peas in a pod." Corita said, smiling. "Your heart is real."

"That's so corny." Riku Replica said with a sigh. "Oh well."

Just as Lexaeus had, Riku Replica vanished before their eyes. Riku and Corita stared at the spot for a few moments in silence.

"We...we should get going." Riku said slowly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah..."

* * *

"How many floors does this place have?" Corita cried in despair.

"We're getting close. I can sense it." Riku said.

"Ooh, here we go again with your super-duper dark powers..."

"There's another scent up there..."

"Ooh, well, we'd better trust in Riku's super-duper dark powers!"

Riku and Corita clambored up the steps, huffing and puffing as they climbed the huge steps.

"Did they really...need to make the steps...this big?" Corita asked.

"I guess so."

"That's original."

Finally, the two reached the top of the stairs. They'd reached a wide area, with another small set of steps ahead of them.

"More stairs?" Corita whined.

"No, we're not going for the stairs..." Riku said softly. He walked to the right, past Corita towards a small doorway.

"Wait for me!" Corita cried as she quickly ran to catch up with him. Corita had never been a fast runner, as the sports and races on the island were usually left to Sora and Riku. Riku moved speedily ahead, down a long hallway.

"Look, more statues of flowers." Corita grumbled. "Look, more white walls with an eerie blue glow. I'M SICK OF THIS PLACE!"

"Sssh..." Riku said as he stopped at the end of the hallway. The hallway was opening up into a huge room, and Riku moved foward into it, followed by Corita.

"That must be..." Riku said slowly as his eyes turned to a figure in the center of the room, who was staring up at a huge flower-shaped contraption.

"It's Naminé!" Corita cried.

Riku turned to face her. "You know who she is?"

"Yeah! I've been trying to tell you...you kept ignoring me." Corita said bitterly.

"Sorry." Riku said gruffly, and he started to move towards the blond-haired girl.

"Naminé!" Corita called out as the two moved to her.

Naminé turned away from the contraption she'd been facing with a jolt. She looked at Riku and Corita with a soft expression after a moment.

"Hello." She said in her usual soft voice.

"You're Naminé?" Riku asked.

"Yes."

"So...it was you..." Riku muttered to himself.

"Huh?" Naminé asked. "Did you say something?"

"Don't worry about him; he likes to talk to himself." Corita said, shoving Riku out of the way. "What happened to Sora? Have you seen him?"

"Yes."

A brief moment of silence followed.

"...and?" Corita asked in a slightly irritated tone.

"He's there." Naminé said, pointing towards the contraption behind her.

Corita and Riku (who'd come back over to the two after being thrown backwards by Corita) looked up towards where she was pointing. Riku let out a gasp, and Corita nearly fell over.

"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER?" Corita roared.

"Yeah...what's up with Sora?" Riku asked in a slightly quieter tone.

"Nothing, don't worry. He's just sleeping. He has to to get his memory back."

"So...he'll remember me, too?" Corita asked.

"Yes, as soon as he wakes up."

"That's a relief." Corita said with a sigh.

"Sora is hard-headed, but I guess he makes smart choices sometimes." Riku said.

"SORA ISN'T HARD-HEADED!"

"You have a choice to make as well, Riku." Naminé said serenly.

"I...do?"

"In your heart is darkness...in that darkness is Ansem. Before he awakens and takes you over again, let me lock your heart. I can make it so he'll never escape."

"Doesn't seem like a bad deal." Corita said.

"Yeah, but what'll happen to me if you do that?" Riku asked. "Will I forget everything, like Sora? I will, won't I..."

"It's your choice, Riku. The darkness will be sealed along with your memory. So...choose."

"Sora looks like he hasn't got a care in the world." Riku said. "Will I sleep that well, too?"

"Yes."

"Then I've made up my mind." Riku said boldly. "Sora always did what he pleased...when this slacker wakes up, I'm gonna have to chew him out. I can't do that If I've been sleeping like him! So...keep your lock. I'll face the darkness...and Ansem...myself."

"What if Ansem gets the better of you?"

"I'll make that darkness show me the way."

"That's true." Naminé agreed, nodding.

"Why do I get the feeling you knew I'd say that?"

"I didn't know. I hoped. I want you to face the darkness, because you're the one who can."

"So that's why you came to me in the light. As Kairi."

"You knew!" Naminé cried.

"I knew as soon as I met you. Somehow you...smell the same."

Naminé smiled, and the two looked over at Corita, who was staring up at Sora with a look of lonliness and sadness.

"Corita..." Riku whispered sadly.

Sora53: Oh, such sadness, and on your birthday!  
Corita: I know! Everyone has to give me presents to make me feel better!  
-presents randomly fall from the ceiling-  
Riku Fangirls: Finally, that annoying replica is gone!  
Sora Fangirls: Sora's so cute when he's asleep.  
Riku Fangirls: -.- That Sora is so hard-headed.  
Sora Fangirls/Corita: What did you say?  
Joe: Corita, since it's your B-day...Naminé helped me make you this!  
Corita: Aw, it's a necklace! It's so pretty! Thank you, Joe! -hugs Joe-  
Joe: -dies from happiness-  
Naminé: Well, what else did you want me to do while I watched your hard-headed brother sleep?  
Sora53: I sense another war coming.  
Everyone: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CORITA!  
Corita: Squee! ---


	35. Press the 'on' button!

-Sora53: Almost to the end!  
Joe: The end again? I'M STILL TOO YOUNG!  
Corita: -puts on her new necklace- It's PURDY...  
Joe: -dies from happiness again-  
Naminé: I'm in this chappie a lot!  
Sora: YAY!  
Fans: I thought you were asleep!  
Naminé: -makes everyone fall asleep-  
Everyone: -is sleeping-  
Naminé: Finally! I'm getting out of this funny farm!- 

Disclaimer: I don't own KH or CoM -.- I only own Corita, so fear her!

Corita's head jerked away at the sound of her name; she nearly toppled over as she spun to face Riku and Naminé.

"Huh? Wha? What's up?" Corita asked, stuttering.

"You okay?" Riku asked, stealing a glance back up at Sora.

"Yeah..." Corita sighed, turning to face her sleeping brother. "Riku, you were right. Sora always did what he pleased...when he wakes up, I'm gonna teach my hard-headed brother a lesson...he'll never forget me again."

At this statement, a guilty look came into Naminé's eyes.

"Naminé, if you feel guilty about what you did, I'll never forgive you." Corita said, still facing Sora. "It wasn't your fault. We've pretty much wiped out everyone in Castle Oblivion...now it's time to face Ansem."

She turned around, grinning brightly. "Let's go, Riku!"

"Right!"

"Naminé...take care of Sora." Corita said calmly.

"Of course. Good luck..." Naminé said softly, waving to them as they headed for the exit. Before she followed Riku into the hall, Corita stole one last look up at Sora, then hurried forward.

* * *

"So, you decided not to sleep, eh?"

Riku and Corita nearly collided as they screeched to a halt. King Mickey was in the small room they'd entered before following the hallway to the area they'd found Naminé and Sora.

"What? How'd you know that?" Riku asked, startled.

"DiZ told me." Mickey said simply.

In a flash, DiZ had appeared next to Mickey. Riku and Corita nearly toppled over again as they jerked backwards.

"You...you know him?" Riku asked.

"Can't say that I do. I can't help feeling that I've met him before..." Mickey explained slowly.

"Voic- er, DiZ, who are you really?" Riku asked suspiciously.

DiZ blinked slowly and turned his eyes to Riku. "Nobody...or anybody. It all depends on whether you choose to believe in me or not."

"Man, you love making me choose things, don't you?"

"...You pushed away slumber and chose to face Ansem."

"What, was that a wrong answer?"

"I'm just here to watch."

Corita gave a stifled laugh. "When you say 'watch', do you mean 'watch' as in supporting him, or 'watch him get toasted'?"

"That is for him to choose."

Riku grimaced, Corita gave another laugh she had to stifle with her hand. Riku gave her a light kick in the foot.

"You only need to believe in your choice." DiZ said to Riku. DiZ then held up a card, and tossed it lightly to Riku. "That card...will draw out the darkness within you to this world. It's time to finish your business with Ansem."

Riku nodded, and looked down at the card nervously.

"Let's go, you two." He said boldly, and marched up to the next set of steps, and the next door.

DiZ had vanished; Corita was staring, mildly interested, at the place where he'd been standing moments before. Riku looked back at Mickey and Corita, and smiled grimly.

"This card'll draw out Ansem, huh..." Riku muttered to himself.

"Don't you worry, Riku!" Mickey said, approaching him. "We can defeat him!"

"Thanks." Riku said kindly as Corita approached them as well. "But I have to face Ansem alone."

"What? Why?" Mickey asked in shock.

"There's no point in doing this if I can't do it on my own. But I have a favor to ask. If Ansem wins, he's going to enslave me. If that happens, I want you to destr—"

"I'll save you, pal!" Mickey said merrily.

"Huh? You're not listening. I want you to destroy Ansem and me with —"

"No can do! I already made my choice. No matter what happens, I'm going to be there to help you. I'm not backing down. Unless you don't believe I'll come through for you..."

"It's my choice to believe or not. I know you'd never let me down, Your Majesty."

"What about me?" Corita moaned. "What am I supposed to do while Riku goes off on his merry way to face the darkness?"

Riku and Mickey exchanged amused looks.

* * *

"This is an injustice!" Corita cried. "I refuse to sit here and wait!"

"It'll only be a little while." Mickey said kindly.

"Naminé, you'll keep an eye on her, right?" Riku asked.

"Of course." Naminé said, unblinking.

"I DON'T NEED A BABYSITTER!" Corita roared.

"We'll see you later!" Riku said, heading for the exit of the room where Naminé stood, with the contraptions that held Sora, Donald and Goofy. Corita sighed, and was suddenly sprung with an idea.

"Naminé, where's that orb the black-robed freaks used to spy on everyone in the castle.

"Door to the left, up the stairs." Naminé said, pointing to a door nearly.

"Thanks!" Corita said with a smile. Without another second wasted, Corita was already halfway up the stairs. Within another second, she was hovering over the orb.

"Okay, here's the orb. Now, how to turn it on..." She muttered under her breath. She tried poking it, tapping it, hitting it really hard, and kicking it. This didn't do much but cause her pain in her hand and foot.

"Okay, no more playing around!" Corita growled, whipping out her staff. She tried every spell she had in her arsenal, but nothing worked, not even trying to blast it into oblivion. She did this more out of frustration than anything, and she eventually just leaned on the giant orb, trying to catch her breath.

"HOW THE HECK DOES THIS THING WORK?" She cried in anger.

At that moment, Naminé appeared at the top of the stairs, looking at her in slight amusement.

"Try pressing the 'on' button." She said with a smile.

"Huh?" Corita asked, then looked on the side of the stand where the orb rested.

"There's an 'on' button? There's never an 'on' button for these magical devices! They're always hard to figure out!" Corita growled bitterly as she jabbed the button with her finger. Instantly, the orb lit up, and Corita peered into its depths.

"Well, there's Riku..." She muttered under her breath. "Now, where's Ansem..."

That was clearly what the miniscule Riku was thinking as well.

"Show yourself, Ansem!" Riku shouted, so clearly that Corita almost thought him to be there in person.

"Ha ha ha... What's the rush?" Came a loud, echoy voice. "I'll be here... At the heart of darkness... I'll be watching as you plunge into the very darkness you wield."

"Man, this orb is cool..." Corita said, examining it. "No wonder the members of the Organization knew what Sora and I were doing while we went throught the castle..."

* * *

Corita had started to doze; Riku had been wandering around the castle alone for a long time.

When he spoke, Corita's head jerked up quickly.

"Come out, Ansem. I can smell you."

Ansem appeared in front of Riku just as Corita's eyes had met the orb again.

"Of course." Ansem said calmly. "Your skills with darkness have grown as you've traveled through this castle."

Riku was looking up at Ansem in pure loathing; Corita wouldn't have been suprised to see fire shoot from his eyes.

"Though there is one thing I do not understand...you accept the dark, yet refuse me. We exist in the same darkness...so why deny me? Perhaps a part of your heart is still afraid of the darkness?"

"Of course not." Riku growled. "The truth is..."

Riku grabbed his sword, and held it above his head, ready for battle. "...you just really stink."

"Wow, Riku. That's intimidating." Corita muttered under her breath. Ansem seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her, as he didn't speak for a moment.

"You're foolish to fight me." He said after some time. "I have conquered you before...you know the power you face!"

"I used all the power you had to offer and still lost to Sora." Riku growled. "I'm not impressed, Ansem."

"Very well." Ansem growled. "Then sink into the dark abyss!"

Ansem held out his arms, and the entire area where he and Riku stood was clouded in darkness. The orb that Corita was gazing into was clouded with darkness as well, and Corita stared hard at it.

"STUPID DARKNESS!" She roared, banging the orb with her fist.

"Just be patient." Naminé said softly.

Corita gave a yelp and jumped. She wheeled around and saw that Naminé was watching her from the corner of the room.

"How long have you been there?" She asked, heart pounding.

"I just came up." Naminé said softly.

"O...okay...just don't sneak up on me like that again, okay?"

Everybody: -wakes up-  
Sora53: What happened?  
Joe: Where's Naminé?  
Fans: Look, there's a note on the ground. -sigh-  
Sora53: 'Dear Insane People: I find that I can no longer take the craziness. I have escaped. Farewell, Naminé'  
Joe: NOOOOOO!  
Corita: O.o I thought you loved me! -sob-  
Riku Fangirls: WE WILL HELP RIKU WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST ANSEM!  
Corita: That's MY job!  
Sora53: Oo am I sensing hostility?  
Corita: Of course not.  
Joe: -sob-


	36. Extra: Taco shells and more SuGaR!

Sora53: Squee! Welcome, one and all, to the final chapter party of Memory's Rhapsody! The final chapter party...the only time I'm allowed to be completely insane! Enjoy the party! 

Fans: Um...no one's here.

crickets chirp-

Sora53: Aw, cheer up, Fans! This is a tradition! There's always a final chapter party!

Fans: You've done it once before.

Sora53: Yeah, well, I've only written one other ficcy. I'm 2 for 2! -squeal-

Corita: -walks in- ooh, is anyone here yet?

Sora53: Just us! Joe'll be here soon...I sent him out for snacks. The fangirls are bringing the live band back here...

Corita: You...sent both sets of fangirls out for one thing?

Sora53: Yeah, so?

Fans: Let the chaos ensue. -grabs popcorn-

Sora53: Anyway, we should...

doorbell rings-

Corita: Yay! People!

Sora, Donald and Goofy walk in-

Corita: -.- I thought you guys were sleeping!

Sora: Gah, only in fanfic land! Where's the sugar?

Sora53: There'll be no sugar at this party.

Sora: WHY!

Donald: Because last time you went insane.

Flashback music plays-

_Corita: Sora, I think you've had enough sugar._

_Sora: IhavenotIdon'tknowwhatyoumeanheygivemebackthesugarCorita!_

_Corita: NO! -steals sugar-_

_Sora: MY SuGaR! -runs after sugar-_

_Donald: Aw, siblings._

_Goofy: It's so special! -sniff-_

_Sora53: Corita, where are you going?_

_Corita: TO HIDE THE SUGAR! -runs away-_

_Door: WE HAVE AN ESCAPEEEEEEEEE!_

_Corita: I did not escape from the party! -blasts door-_

_Door: -is blasted-_

_Sora: BRING ME THE SUGAR OR I SHALL ATTACK WITH THE KEYBLADE!_

_Ansem: -steals Keyblade-_

_Sora: Hey!_

_Sora Fangirls: -steals shoes-_

_Sora: MY SHOES! -dies-_

Flashback ends-

Sora53: So, your sugary craving lost you your Keyblade and your shoes.

Sora: Yeah, yeah yeah...

doorbell rings-

Goofy: I'LL GET IT!

Riku, Kairi, Joe, and both groups of Fangirls walk in-

Riku Fangirls: RIKU!

Sora Fangirls: SORA!

Donald: ...Here we go.

Riku: Just let them fight. It keeps them from tackling me.

Riku Fangirls: Riku? -tackles Riku-

Kairi: SORA! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!

Sora: Umm...yes...?

Kairi: HOW DARE YOU FORGET ME! AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN THROUGH?

Sora: Uh...

meanwhile-

Sora53: Did you get the snacks, Joe?

Joe: Yep! Asparagus, taco shells, and sugar!

Sora53: O.o Don't tell Sora that you got sugar.

doorbell rings-

Riku: -pulls himself out from a pile of Riku Fangirls- I'll get it!

All the members of the Organization pour in-

Sora53: -.- Fans, I put you in charge of invitations, and you invite THEM?

Fans: They're awesome! -runs over to them-

Vexen: LOOK AT ALL THE POSSIBLE EXPERIMENTS!

Corita: -.- You will die.

Donald: I thought he already died...?

Goofy: Nope! This, as a Disney game, makes them vanish into thin air instead!

Larxene: Hi Corita!

Corita: O.o IS EVERYONE AGAINST ME?

meanwhile-

Sora: It wasn't my fault!

Kairi: A LIKELY STORY!

Sora: It was Naminé!

Kairi: Who the heck is Naminé?

Naminé: I am.

Kairi: Okay, bring it on! I'll fight you for him!

Sora: ...

Naminé: I do not wish to fight.

Kairi: FINE! THEM I'M TAKING HIM!

Naminé: Go ahead.

Kairi: I can't take your mind games! Just take him! -runs away screaming-

Sora/Naminé: O.o

Corita: Ooh, Sora, you're so popular!

meanwhile-

Axel: So, I was like, 'dude, you're the traitor!' and he was like 'no, you are!' and then he like, cowered behind Naminé!

Marluxia: That was a great story, Axel. It's not like I was there or anything.

Fans: Tell me more about the violence!

Sora53: Don't tell them!

Zexion: Let me tell. Manipulate your enemy's mind and break him from the inside.

Fans: Ooh! -takes notes-

Joe: WHO'S HUNGRY?

Everyone: WE ARE!

Joe: We have taco shells!

Everyone: O.o

Sora: SUGAR!

Sora53: EVERYONE RUN! SORA FOUND THE SUGAR!

DiZ: Sora53, you must choose.

Sora53: Choose what?

DiZ: Will you give a speech...or not give a speech?

Sora53: I gave a speech last time...EVERYONE GATHER ROUND! TIME FOR MY SPEECH!

Everyone: Again?

Sora53: GATHER ROUND! Corita, get up here!

Corita: Again? I had to last time!

Sora53: Yes, but you are my fanfic character. Therefore, I rule you!

Corita: Darn it...

Sora53: Anyway, you may have noticed that our wonderful little princess...

Kairi: THAT'S ME!

Sora53: -.- anyway, she had an experiment done on her.

Vexen: I DID THAT!

wild applause-

Sora53: -.- why, you may ask? Well, you'll just have to wait for the third fic ;) Also, some people were wondering if Corita likes Riku or vice versa...

akward glances between Corita and Riku-

Sora53: You'll just have to wait!

Everyone: THIS IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL!

Sora53: SHUT UP!

Ansem: I WILL RULE YOU ALL!

Sora53: ...WHERE THE HECK DID YOU COME FROM?

Ansem: I LIVE WITHIN RIKU!

Sora53: THAT'S CREEPY!

Ansem: WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?

Sora53: BECAUSE IT MAKES US SOUND SMART!

live band starts playing and singing Simple and Clean in Japanese-

Everyone: We don't speak Japanese!

Riku: I do!

Everyone: Shut up!

Sora53: Just dance! You shut up last time...

Axel: Who the heck am I supposed to dance with?

Sora53: Here, Axel...you dance with Larxene.

Larxene: ...what?

Sora53: Joe, dance with Naminé.

Joe: -dies of happiness-

Sora: Kairi, you know you're my princess...

Kairi: AWWW! LET'S DANCE! -grabs Sora-

Riku: Corita, will you dance with me?

Corita: Me?

Riku: Please? Before the Riku Fangirls tackle me again?

Corita...Fair enough.

Sora53: Aw, everyone's dancing.

Fans: Ain't it sweet.

Sora53: Hey Fans, you're really not that evil after all.

Fans: Yep.

Sora53: You know, you're called Fans, but are you one person or multiple people?

Fans: O.o you created us/me. You choose.

DiZ: ONLY I'M ALLOWED TO MAKE PEOPLE CHOOSE STUFF!

Sora53/Fans: O.o

Sora53: Anyway, enjoy the last chapter of Memory's Rhapsody!

Fans: And thank you!

Sora53: You're not supposed to thank them! That's my job!

Fans: MY JOB!

Sora53: Special mention to Godessof2003/KH-Akyra! Keep...writing!

Fans: How come you never give me special mentions?

Sora53: Because you stalk me.

Fans: Whatever. -eats a taco shell-

Sora53: Enjoy! Fans, I'm not gonna be stuck not dancing at my party. Let's dance.

Fans: O.o


	37. The road to dawn

-Sora53: I'm sure you're sick of us.  
Fans: -hides from Sora53-  
Corita: The last chapter...now you have to wait until December before you get any more Corita-based fanfic joy!  
Joe: I'll wait forever, my dearest Corita!  
Corita: I seem to remember that you danced with Naminé at the party.  
Joe: This is...true.  
Sora53: Sora was too busy dancing with Kairi...I had to dance with the Fans. -points-  
Fans: -tremble-  
Sora: Finally! Kairi keeps tackling me O.o Sora53! Let's dance again!  
Sora53: Well, it is tradition :D- 

Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own KH or CoM...I own Corita and nothing else! Except for my posse ;)

"Corita, look!"

"Huh? Wha..."

"Wake up, you can see into the orb again!"

"I...I wasn't sleeping...it's still all dark..."

"...open your eyes!"

Corita's eyes snapped open, and they turned almost instantly to the orb in front of her. Naminé was standing to the left of it, staring down into its depths. Corita saw that the darkness in the orb was indeed clearing.

"Ansem!" Riku, still miniscule, cried as he slashed out at Ansem. Ansem was kneeling on the ground, with Riku standing about 10 feet in front of him.  
"You're finished!" Riku hissed.

"Hardly." Ansem said so quietly that Naminé and Corita (who'd proceeded to stand up and watch the orb next to Naminé) had to lean forward to listen.  
"I gave you the darkness...my shadow lingers within you. I will return!"

At this, Ansem stood up, and the orb clouded once again in darkness.

"AARGH!" Corita roared, banging on the orb in frustration.

"Shh...listen." Naminé said, and Corita stopped ranting.

"I know you wanted to do this alone, but you don't mind a LITTLE help, right?" Came King Mickey's voice out of the darkness. "Let's go, Riku."

"That's my cue!" Corita sang. "See you, Naminé!"

"Bye." Naminé said calmly, waving as Corita dashed down the stairs.

* * *

"What are you going to do next, Riku?" Mickey asked kindly. "Are you going home?"

"I don't know if I can." Riku sighed. "His scent...it's faint, but it's still there. I can't go home until it's gone."

"Riku! Mickey!" Came a voice from several sets of stairs up.

"...speaking of lingering scents..."

Corita came running down the stairs at top speed, nearly crashing into Riku at the same time. Riku reached out to stop her from killing him, and Mickey stood behind Riku to catch him if Corita knocked him down.

"Corita, are you trying to kill us?" Riku asked.

"Sorry. I was just worried about you guys..."

"We're fine." Mickey said merrily. "I've gotta say, you came down all those stairs pretty darn fast..."

"Like I just said, I was worried." Corita said with a grin. "Call it my Healer instincts, but something's still wrong here. What is it now?"

"Ansem." Riku answered.

"Again?" Corita sighed. "Doesn't he have anything better to do?"

"Riku, your darkness belongs to you. Just like your light." Mickey said. "Until now, I thought darkness was nothing but bad. But my time with you made me change my mind. You've chosen a road I never thought of. Light and dark, back to back. With you, they mingle in a way no one's ever seen before. I want to see where that road leads. And if it's okay, I want to walk the road with you."

Mickey held out a gloved hand to Riku. Riku smiled, and took it.

"Wow, Mickey...I don't know what to say!" Riku said with a huge smile.

"That's so sweet." Corita said. "I hope you know that I'm not taking any 'road' except the one I'm on right now."

"Of course." Riku said, turning to her. "It's your choice."

"I have to stay here." Corita said calmly.

"I...guess we'll see you later." Riku said with a note of sadness in his voice.

"It's not like this is goodbye. We'll see each other again, right?"

"Absolutely." Riku said. "Bye then, Corita."

"Bye, you two." Corita said. Riku and Mickey smiled at her, and they turned around towards the door. With a final glance backwards at Riku, Corita turned to dash back up the stairs.

"Hey!" She said, turning back quickly, remembering something. "Don't go dying on me, you hear? Otherwise I'll never get to keep my promise to you!"

Not looking back, she hurried up the tall steps back to the top of the castle.

* * *

Naminé watched Corita in mild interest as Corita came hurtling back into the orb room, nearly knocking over the orb as she went.

"How...do you watch...what's going on...outside?" Corita panted.

Naminé flipped another switch on the side of the orb's pedestal, labelled 'outside'. Almost instantly, the orb's view switched from one of Castle Oblivion's empty rooms to the surrounding paths outside of the castle. On the path, Riku and Mickey were walking next to each other.

"What the...where'd they get the robes?" Corita asked, dazed. Naminé shook her head.

Riku and Mickey (who were now dressed in robes identical to those of the Organization) slowed to a halt. DiZ was standing in front of a forked path, and Riku sighed.

"What are you making me choose now?" He asked.

"Will you take the road to light — or the road to darkness?" DiZ asked in his usual serene voice.

"Neither." Riku said as he began to walk forward. "I'm taking the middle road."

Riku walked right past DiZ, onto the path that DiZ had been blocking. DiZ was silent for a moment, but he spoke again after Riku'd gone a few feet.

"You mean the twilit road to nightfall?" He asked, and Riku came to an immediate stop.

Riku was silent for a moment.

"No." He said finally, turning his head back to DiZ. "The road to dawn."

* * *

"It's so quiet here." Corita said with a sigh. "Riku and Mickey are gone, and my friends and brother are asleep..."

Naminé and Corita, after watching Riku and Mickey's departure, were back in the large room with Sora, Donald and Goofy. Corita turned her head to look back up at her sleeping sibling.

"How long until they wake up?" She asked curiously.

"It'll be a while." Naminé said, looking up at him as well. "It's best to just be patient."

"Patient, eh? One thing I'm not good at being." Corita said, sighing. She sat down on the floor, leaning her back against the machine in which Sora slept. Reaching into her pocket, she was able to fish out her small, gleaming Thalassa shell.

"I tried to tell you, Sora." She said to herself. "I told you that Kairi was the one you were seeking, and I told you that something was funny about this castle. I guess you really are as hard-headed as everyone else says."

Corita smiled, and flipped the shell over in her hand. She stared at it for a long time, the light from Sora's machine illuminating its soft blue surface.

Everyone: Bravo! Bravo!  
Joe: Encore!  
Sora53: That's the end! There is no encore!  
Fans: Good! -quiver-  
Sora: I can't believe it! My own sister called me hard-headed! -sob-  
Corita: You've gotta admit, it's true.  
Sora Fangirls: We don't think you're hard-headed!  
Joe: And I still love you, Corita.  
Riku Fangirls: Well, it's time to chase Sora53.  
Sora53: O.o why?  
Riku Fangirls: We won't get a chance to until December!  
Sora53: True. -runs away screaming-  
Corita: Goodbye for now! Now, to think about what role I'll play in KH2...what with the BHK, the new worlds, and merging with Sora! So much to think about! Farewell :P -watches Sora53 get chased by the Riku Fangirls-


End file.
